Broken Hearts and Fallen Angels
by Ezzery
Summary: AU OOC/ You found the love of your life and you think that everything is perfect, but what about your past? What if that past included a vicious killer waiting for the moment he can burst your happy bubble? Would love survive?/ Rated M for violence/ sex
1. Wedding Bells

**AN: I do not own Twilight, please take it up with Stephanie Meyer as she is the master of it all.**

**Hello everyone! This is my very first fanfic and I am really excited about it. I really hope that you all enjoy it.**

**I would like to thank my wonderful Beta: Jagga-Love. Without you this would not be possible, you are truly amazing!!!**

**Summary:**

**Sometimes finding love at first sight is not what is all cracked up to be. What is life got in the way? Usual pairings, all character are OOC (at least a little bit).**

**BPOV**

Today was the day, our day. After so many months of planning, today was the day I would be becoming his wife. I have often wondered about this day. How would I feel? I had expected to be the happiest person on the planet, yet there was something there, stopping me from being that way. There was something in the back of my mind that was preventing me from feeling at ease, but what? Before I had any time to think it through, Jessica and Angela came into the room. "Are you ready Bella?" Jessica asked. _Am I ready?_

"Yes," I simply stated. Angela looked into my eyes and I was afraid that she was going to see how terrified I was. "Bella you look absolutely gorgeous," Angela said, giving me a small smile trying to convey that it would be ok. I decided at that moment to push all of my silly thoughts aside and enjoy our moment, the moment I would be marrying the man I loved.

I slowly rose from the chair and I made my way towards the mirror, I wanted so desperately to see that happiness in my face, I wanted to reassure myself that this was indeed the happiest moment in my life. I am not sure what I was expecting to see, but I was amazed at the look of determination I had, and I knew at that moment that I did not want to be anywhere else; I was happy.

I had a simple strapless white gown by Lazaro. The entire dress was covered with lace going all the way to the back forming a small round train. My hair had simple curls and the top half was tied to the back making a nice smooth top for my tiara and veil. I had opted for a simple veil with pearls in the trim and it flowed almost to my waist, just like my hair. Renee, my mother, had helped me with my makeup. It was simple and very light, with just a hint of blush and a coat of clear lip gloss. Jessica thought it would be too simple for the pictures, but I truly felt beautiful.

"Bella, you look so beautiful," Renee said as a new round of tears welled in her eyes. I could see how proud she was. Renee had been static to find out that I was dating Mike Newton, the heir to the Newton Empire. His father owned the most prestigious sporting store chain in the United States and they even had a big presence in Europe. In her opinion I was not only marrying well, but giving myself the chance to have everything she could never have because she had married Charlie, her high school sweetheart, the sheriff of the tiny town called Forks in rainy Washington. She fled before I was one year old, but since then we had lived from place to place, never really settling down anywhere.

Renee married Philip, a small league baseball player, when I was in high school and as they took on the road, I decided to move to Forks and live with Charlie. That is where I met Mike. At first we were only friends, but I could tell that he had been interested in me from my very first day at school. He had followed after me all the way to our senior graduation like a loyal Golden Retriever. I moved away to Washington D.C. for college, and we did not see each other for 4 years. I started working for the Washington Post the year I graduated from college as an assistant editor.

Jessica and Angela were my best friends since high school and we all went to Georgetown University together. Jessica dropped off from college two years later, preferring her social life, and was now a manager at Macy's in White Flint Mall in Rockville, MD. Angela finished pre-med and was currently doing her residency at John Hopkins in Baltimore, MD. She was working towards becoming a surgeon. We all used to be roommates, but once me and Angela completed college we all got our own places. I was currently living in a small studio in the Dupont Circle area of D.C. I bumped into Mike one Saturday morning at a Starbucks around the corner from my house. He had recently moved to D.C. to oversee his father's corporate offices and was looking for a place to rent. I became his tour guide and with my help he found a beautiful Penthouse apartment in Crystal City, VA. We started dating shortly after that, and here we are, one year later, about to get married.

"Earth to Bella," Jessica said while waving her hand in front of me. "Are you planning to miss your own wedding?" she asked while snickering. I knew that Jessica had a crush on Mike since high school, but when I asked if it was ok for me to date Mike she had said that she was very happy for us; that we were meant for each other. She had found herself someone else, his name was Davey, and she seemed happy for the most part.

"Sorry, I am just a little nervous, that's all, is it time?" I asked. "Yes dear, let me call your father and we will all get set up," my mother responded. It was not hard to feel the enthusiasm pouring out of her.

Charlie was not the kind of guy that liked to dress up, much less in a 'Monkey Suit' as he liked to call it, but he looked very handsome. "Hey there squirt!" he said while appraising me with his yes. "You are the most beautiful bride that I have ever seen. I am very proud of you. Mike is a lucky guy." He took hold of my hand steadying me as we made our way down the stairs and to my future.

Since Mike's family was more than loaded, his mother had insisted that we celebrated our marriage in the most extravagant way possible. Mike paid for everything, including my dress and my shoes. He wanted me to look the part, and I played along not letting on how much I felt like a trophy wife. We had decided to get married in Acapulco, and from here we would start our new life, living in California.

The ceremony was beautiful. It was held in front of the beach. All of our guests were in the main land, while me, Mike, and the judge were in a small island off the ocean connected to the main land by a small bridge. Everything was decorated with turquoise, bronze and pearl details. White roses decorated every table. Before I knew it, we had been declared husband and wife and we turned around to be greeted by all of our guests.

The reception area was a few steps from the ceremony area in a big white gazebo. We went to take our pictures while everyone got situated. Mike could not keep his hands off me, and kept repeating in my ear that he could not wait until night, when I would finally be completely his.

Mike's father was not happy that Mike had chosen me for his wife. He told him that Mike was making a huge mistake and that he should have found someone from his same class and stature. He seemed to believe that Mike should just treat me like a toy and enjoy himself until they found him the perfect woman.

As I finished the last pictures with my Bridesmaids I could see Mike and his father in a heated discussion, and then Mike took off. I was about to follow after him when Eric, a high school friend from Forks, stopped me to congratulate me and tell me how beautiful I looked. He went on and on about how great everything was at the wedding, and how Mike had become the luckiest man on earth. I looked at Angela begging for mercy, and she quickly caught on and took a hold of Eric's hand promising to introduce him to my other bridesmaids, Clara and Elaine, who I both met at college.

I looked around to see if I could find where Mike had walked off to, but when I could not spot him, I decided to search for him. As I was making my way towards the direction I had seen him go earlier, I was stopped by Renee who insisted I needed to freshen up my makeup before going into the reception. I told her that I was looking for Mike and she said not to worry, that she would look for him while I got ready.

I opened the door to the ladies room, when I saw the one thing I never, ever wanted to see in my life. There it was, my brand new husband kissing Jessica passionately. I could not help the gasp that escaped my mouth as I dropped my flowers on the floor, tears already running down my face. "Bella, this …this is not what it looks like," Mike stuttered, a desperate tone in his voice. "I was looking for you and I saw Jessica come in here. I wanted to ask her where you were and she…" he could not finish his sentence as Jessica started laughing, "She what Mike? Why don't you tell her that I am the only one that you love, that we have been together for as long as you have been pretending to love her," Jessica stated with such venom in her tone that it made me realize how much she hated me.

"Shut up you stupid bitch, I want nothing to do with you! This kiss, this was just a goodbye, my future is now Bella and she is the only woman I want in my life. Honey…" he was saying as I ran from there, I needed to leave. What the hell just happened?

I could hear Mike running after me when I suddenly bumped into Renee. "Bella!" she yelled. "What is going on? You are ruining your makeup."

"Mom… Mike… he was kissing Jessica in the bathroom… I need to go, please let's get out of here," I said while trying to pull Renee with me but she would not move. "Bella, stop embarrassing yourself and get it together. That is just a little thing and I am sure Mike did not mean anything by it," she said. I could not believe it, she was on his side. What was this hell? I started moving away from Renee as Mike slowly approached us. "Bella, please honey, forgive me. I did not mean anything. Come on, let's enjoy our wedding, honey, please," he said as he glanced around and noticed that all of our guests had caught on to what was going on and were now standing around us trying to get closer to the commotion. "Bella honey, you are making a scene in front of everyone," he pleaded.

"Oh, I am sorry Mike," I said with as much venom as I could add to my voice. "I did not mean to ruin your perfect façade. You are such a piece of scum, I want nothing more to do with you ever again," I said as I started to take off my shoes. "I don't want anything that came from you, and since you paid for everything, here are the fucking shoes," I continued as I threw the shoes at him. I took of my dress leaving myself with just my white lace underwear and threw it at him as well. "Here is your fucking dress, here is your fucking veil and tiara, and here is your stupid, fucking cake!" I yelled while throwing everything at him and dumping the enormous cake to the floor. "I hate you!" I cried out loud while I took off running.

I could hear everyone screaming after me, but I just kept running towards the beach, on the other side of the hotel, not caring that everyone could see me in my underwear. I felt so dirty, so betrayed. My eyes were covered in tears as I ran, and I could not see where I was going, but I wanted to make it into the ocean, I wanted to cleanse myself from anything that had to do with Mike. I was almost in the ocean when I crashed into something solid, and as I started to fall back, I felt a set of strong hands holding me by the waist and setting me straight. A current of electricity went through my entire body as those hands touched me. I looked at the face of the stranger that had saved me from my fall, and as I saw those incredibly intense green eyes staring back at me, everything went black.

**EPOV**

I am not sure what prompted me to say yes to this silly trip, but I guess I did need to celebrate the fact that I just completed my residency at John Hopkins and I had accepted an attending position there temporarily while I pondered my options. I was now a pediatric neurosurgeon and I was not sure if I wanted to continue working at a hospital or join my father's practice. This trip however, had proven to be a crazy one and I found myself regretting the decision to come. Why we couldn't just celebrate at some bar in D.C. was beyond me.

I looked around my hotel room, we had decided to share the penthouse, and the mess all over the place from our party last night was making me claustrophobic. I decided I needed to go for a run to clear my head and embrace myself for the last day of our Acapulco vacation. I quickly changed into a white wife beater, a pair of running shorts and my running shoes. I strapped my iPod to my arm, and I made my way to the small kitchen to grab a water bottle. "Alice, what are you doing up so early?" I asked my sister as I reached in the fridge for my water.

"Have you heard the way Emmett snores?" she said obviously very annoyed. "I don't know how Rose can sleep through that every night," she continued as she rolled her eyes.

"We all know she sleeps like the dead, and when she can't, she just smacks him until she makes him stop," I said with a chuckle. "I am going for a run, I will see you later." I told her as I made my way out of the hotel room.

Alice had wanted me to invite someone to come with me for the trip, talking about me being a terrible fifth wheel, and that I needed to find my other half soon or I was going to end up a bitter old man that no one would like. She had been setting me up with blind date after blind date hoping that I would find someone. It was getting pretty old, and I was tired of being made fun of by everyone for being the only one without a sidekick. I just could not find anyone to hold my interest for more than five minutes. I have dated plenty of girls, but none of them made it pass the first or second date. Why was the world so full of fake people? I could not stand it. Also, I did not feel like I would need someone to make me happy. I was very happy with my life, my current status, and I liked where I was headed, who needs complications?

I ran out of the hotel lobby and almost bumped into a couple of men carrying a huge and extravagant wedding cake to the gazebo area. It was ostentatious that cake, and I wondered who the cocky show off couple was. As I started my slow jog, I could see that the place had been decorated with sickly detail in a way over the top fashion and decided to run towards the public beach area instead. I did not want to bump into any of these people.

I ran for a good five miles before I decided to make my way back. It was a nice day out, not too hot, not too cold - a perfect spring day. The beach was not too busy yet, so I decided to slow my pace to a walk and take in the scenery as I made my way back. It would take me a lot longer to walk back to the penthouse, but to be honest I was not ready for my hyper sister, her analytic boyfriend, my obnoxious brother and the smart ass of his girlfriend. I loved them all dearly, but when we all got together they were just too much to handle. Alice was always finding ways for us to go shopping and Jasper was not one to deny her anything. Jasper and Alice had been dating since high school, and were talking about a possible wedding within the next year or so. Rose and Emmett had also been inseparable since high school, and were already engaged. They were planning to settle somewhere in Bethesda, MD as Rose did not want to be too far from the heart of D.C.

I was nearing our hotel when I saw an angel. She was running in my direction not aware of everyone looking at her. Was she in her underwear? I turned around to see if I could spot a towel so I could hand it to her or something and I had turned around to see if I could make her stop when something slammed into my chest. I looked at what had crashed into me when I saw the angel, and as she started to fall backwards I wrapped my arms around her waist and pull her straight, a current of electricity coursing through all my body.

I looked down to see if I could see the face of the angel, as she started to look up and our eyes met. I was just starting to be drawn to her beautiful chocolate colored eyes when she went limp in my hands.

I picked her up and cradled her in my arms as I made my way to one of the beach chairs under an umbrella so that I could wake her up. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen in my life. I was just simply mesmerized by her beauty. I gently touched her face attempting to wake her up when I felt a sudden breeze, and then it hit me. This girl was not just a fallen angel, she smelt delicious. All of my medical training went to the back of my head as instinct took over and I slowly made my way to her beautiful plump pink limps, and I kissed her very gently, as if she was made of glass.

Then… she woke up.


	2. My Angel

**AN: I do not own Twilight, please take it up with Stephanie Meyer as she is the master of it all.**

**BPOV**

I felt these wonderful soft lips on mine as I woke up. I looked up to see the same green eyes I had seen while I was running to the ocean staring back at me. They had a look of concern, fear, and lust? I tried to get up and he gently pulled me to his lap. "Are you ok?" the most velvety voice that I have ever heard, asked. I couldn't answer. I was mesmerized by this Greek god now holding me. He had this sexy bronze messy looking hair that made him look as if he just had sex. His green eyes sparkled more than any emerald I had ever seen. His lips were full and sexy, and he had the most amazing chiseled chin. "I am not ok… I… I need to get out of here… who are you?" I asked as I stood up straight wanting to put some distance from me and his body, in an attempt to gather my thoughts.

"My name is Edward," he said. "You were running towards the ocean when you bumped into me. Are you running from someone? Should I call the police?" he asked as he also tried to compose himself, it seemed.

"No, no need for the police… I just… OHMYGODIAMINMYUNDERWEAR!" I screamed as I realized that I was standing half naked in front of everyone! He quickly grabbed a towel from one of the chairs and gave it to me.

"Look, I know we don't know each other, I don't even know your name, but you look like you could talk to someone, and I don't think you should go…" he was saying as I interrupted him. "Bella, my name is Bella, and today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, but instead it turned into this nightmare." I quickly told him as I felt a new batch of tears slide down my face.

"May I?" he asked as he made a move to approach me. I nodded and he stopped just a breath from being in contact with my body, and softly cleaned the tears from my face, leaving a trail of hot currents on my pale skin. I don't know what possessed me then, but I reached out and held myself against him while I cried. He just held me, his hands never moving from my waist. There was this sort of electricity emanating from both of us, and as ridiculous as it may sound, at that moment I felt like I had known him my entire life. He was my guardian angel.

After what seemed like an eternity, I started to calm down, and slowly stopped crying. I released him from my tight grip so I could look back at him, and my body protested immediately, not wanting to be separated from him. I slowly lifted my head so I could look back at him, and once I saw his eyes, I could not help myself as I crashed my lips into his.

At first he seemed taken aback by my outburst, but then he quickly responded, his lips molding into mine. He reached for me and embraced me, our lips never separating, as he softly traced his tongue on my bottom lips asking for entrance. Slowly, I parted my lips giving him entrance and our tongues started to dance with each other.

He tasted delicious. My entire body tingled as he increased the intensity of our kiss and I felt my toes curl and my knees go weak. I whimpered as he parted from my mouth not wanting to stop kissing him, even as my need for air was becoming urgent. He started kissing my cheeks, and placing butterfly kisses all over my chin moving to my neck all the while I could feel my center getting hotter by the minute. I did not care that we were outside in front of the world or that I was married to another man. I just never wanted this moment to end. What the hell is wrong with me? I hesitantly separated myself from him, and looked at him. "I am sorry, I didn't mea - ."

"No, please don't tell me you are sorry because I am not, that was by far the best kiss I have ever experienced in my life," he solemnly stated. I could feel myself blushing and he chuckled under his breath.

**EPOV**

As I saw her blush in such a delicious shade of pink, I could not help the chuckle that escaped me. She was so breath taking. My entire body was aching from the separation and I wanted nothing more than to have her in my arms again, and to kiss those luscious lips. Never in my life had I felt such an attraction for anyone. I once again closed the gap between us and I hugged her, slowly moving her body with mine as I made my way to the beach chair. I sat down, never letting go of her, and I gently placed her back in my lap. "Tell me what happened," I asked. She looked back at me and I could see that she was fighting her tears with all the strength that she could muster as she started telling me her story or nightmare, rather.

By the time she was done my blood was boiling in anger. I wanted to go after that asshole and teach him a lesson or two on how to treat a woman. How could he be so cruel to such an angel? What kind of asshole was he? I had been stroking her back, rubbing soothing circles trying to comfort her as she told me her story and as she finished she moved back, settling herself closer to my chest and took a big sigh. I understood now why she was running, and I knew that she was not just running from her husband, but also from her family who had surprisingly not supported her in such a moment.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for listening to my story, I am sorry for keeping you from whatever it is that you are supposed to be doing, I guess I should go." _Go?_ _So soon?_ No, no way, I can't let her go.

"Please don't go, you are not keeping me from anything, I … I want to make sure that you are all calmed before you go face your family." I told her, amazed by the sound of desperation in my voice. _Where did that come from? Why am I so attracted to this woman, this girl shivering in my arms, this angel?_ I don't know what took a hold of me at that moment, but I lifted her chin and pull her face towards mine and started kissing those wonderful lips once again. I heard her moan as I gained access to her mouth, our lips moving in perfect symmetry. I could feel myself harden as she grinded her hot wet core against me.

She turned around so that she was now straddling me and continued to grind against me. I moved away from her lips and started nibbling down her neck and back up again, until I reached her ear and I blew softly in it. Her movements became more urgent and I could feel myself getting close. I made my way back to her mouth, leaving kisses and nibbles all the way and our tongues went back to wrestling with one another, neither one of us wanting to give in to the other. She gasped as she felt my erection right at her entrance and with a couple of more movements she came, moaning out loud in pleasure, and that is all it took for me to come over the edge as well.

We sat there panting and still kissing each other when I heard someone scream next to us.

"Isabella Marie Swan, what do you think you are doing?" a lady asked. I could see the resemblance and I could only guess that she was her mother. I felt Bella blush immediately and she started to get up. "We have been looking all over the place for you. Where have you been? Your poor husband is going out of his mind," the lady frantically continued and with that, Bella stood up giving her a fierce look.

"My _poor_ husband?" Bella asked angrily. "Is that all you care about mother? That pathetic excuse for a man is no husband of mine," she yelled as tears poured down her flustered cheeks. I stood up and made my way to Bella's side so she could see that I was there for her. _I want to be there for her forever._ I tried to focus back on the conversation, saving those thoughts for later. Bella told her mother to leave, that she was going to catch up with her in a moment and not to dare say anything to Mike - I assumed he was her husband - or this would be the last time she will ever see her. Bella's mother gave me an exasperated look and grabbed Bella by her wrist pulling her along. "I do not think so, you are coming with me right this moment," she stated as she started moving, still holding Bella's hand, making her move with her.

"Edward… I am sorry," she said while being dragged away by her mother. I did not know how to respond, I just stood there like an idiot. I could not help staring at them as they kept moving farther and farther from me. She was leaving, my angel was leaving, and I had no idea if I would ever see her again. I was filled with sorrow as I realized that this was probably the first and the last time I will ever see her.

I was about to start running after them, when I saw a blonde guy approach them holding his suit jacket in his hand and covering Bella. _My Bella._ I realized that running after her would only cause more problems and I would make a fool of myself. That was probably her husband and I was no one, she was not mine to claim. A tear escaped my eye as I thought to myself, _I just found my soul mate and I lost her just as fast._ I could only hope that someday our paths would cross again, and I would be able to tell her that I wanted her to be mine.

BPOV

I felt so impotent as my mother dragged me away from Edward. _My Edward._ I reluctantly continued walking hoping that perhaps Edward would cry out for me and claim me back and as I turned to give him another look, I felt someone grab me by the waist and cover me with a jacket. I looked up and it was Mike, I looked back at Edward but he had already turned back.

"Get your dirty hands off me, Mike," I said with disgust, while shrugging off from his grasp. "It's over. I want to end this farce of a marriage." Mike looked at me with a shocked and angry expression as I started running once again but this time back to the hotel.

Hours later I was sitting on a plane with Angela, on our way back to D.C. I told Angela everything that happened from the moment I found Mike and Jessica kissing. I left my parents back in Acapulco, telling them that I needed to be alone, and that it would be a very long time before I would be able to talk to them again. They had failed me.

Angela offered for me to stay at the townhouse she shared with Ben, her fiancé, since I had quit my job and ended the lease of my studio apartment in order to move with Mike to California. She kept on assuring me that everything was going to be alright, that she was there for me, and that I was strong, that this would pass. I could not bring myself to tell her that more than being angry and disappointed at Mike, I was upset about not getting at least a number from Edward. Would I ever see him again? How could I continue through life having stared at my soul mate in the eye and letting him go?


	3. New Friends

**AN: I do not own Twilight, please take it up with Stephanie Meyer as she is the master of it all.**

**BPOV**

Sometimes time elapses in such a rush that is hard to even catch your breath. Yet other times, it goes on so slowly it seems like everything is in slow motion, lingering, and in my case, making my aching heart tremble in pain.

It had been six weeks since the horrible joke that was my wedding. Mike had at first tried to get me back by sending me flowers and trying to be the romantic guy he never was. Then his attempts turned angry, as I would not give in and he started to threaten me. Who the fuck did he think he was? I would never let a man make me scared and I was definitely never going to let him back in my life. As far as I was concerned, his true colors had shown at last and I was very glad I was no longer married to him.

Getting our marriage annulled had been a piece of cake. I knew how much his father hated the idea of me being married to Mike, and how afraid he was that I was just some dumb gold digger looking to get in on their good fortune and name. I called him as soon as I made it back to Baltimore asking him to arrange everything in exchange for me not giving out interviews about what Mike had done and never ever asking them for any of their money. _As if I would ever want any of their shitty money_.

Mike was very angry but had no choice other than to accept the annulment as his father threatened to take everything from him if he did not do as he said. This was the only time I was glad they had so much power because with a blink of an eye, I was no longer tied to Mike and I could pretend that this had just been a nightmare. I was free from that asshole, and deep inside, something told me that this was the best thing that had ever happened to me because I was not really in love with him. There was nothing like that feeling I had when I met my guardian angel that fateful day. My soul mate…

I had stayed with Angela all this time trying to get myself back together. I was broken and I knew that it would be a long time before I became whole again. I contacted the Washington Post and they had already filled my position, but offered me another assistant editing job, this time with the Fashion and Style department. This was not what I really wanted to do, but I was glad that I had a job again, and that I could go back to my old life, although I wanted desperately to be different, to heal and to strengthen my soul because maybe this way I would be worthy of seeing _my Edward_ someday again. Sigh!

For years, I had been saving money, worried that something could happen in my future. I never spent money on myself, I was always very vigilant of my finances, but I decided to live for the moment rather than for a future that might never come.

"Seize the Day," that is the mantra I kept repeating over and over to myself as I was handed the keys to my brand new condo in Bethesda, MD. I was very nervous about the purchase and also very excited that this was my new home, and the place where I would start anew.

_Welcome to your new life Isabella, you deserve this_! Only if I could also have him here… my love.

**APOV**

Our trip to Acapulco had been both good and bad. I had a feeling that Edward was going to meet someone significant there, someone that would change his life forever, and I was not wrong. He met someone, and now he was as sad as I had ever seen him. What happened?

In true Edward fashion, he had refused to give us any details on what had happened. It was our last day in Acapulco and he had disappeared for hours. I knew that something must have kept him because there was no way he could run for 4 hours. We were about to go out and start looking for him when he entered the penthouse, and everyone gasped as they looked at him. He looked so sad it broke all of our hearts and we stayed frozen in place as he made his way to his room and had a fit, throwing things all over the place.

I had another shopping expedition planned for that day, and sensing that he was not going to come out of his room anytime soon, we decided to take off, leaving him a note. We finally made it back to the hotel several hours later and he was sitting on the balcony outside, just staring into space. I looked at everyone and then looked at Edward and everyone understood that we needed time alone as they made their way to their rooms to start packing.

"What's wrong Edward?" I asked as I pulled him into a hug. "Life is so unfair Alice," he said as tears welled in his eyes. "I just met my soul mate and I just lost her, and I may never see her again… My Bella."

I knew better than to ask him for any more details and we just held each other for a while, my heart breaking almost as bad as his. How could I repair this?

It had been six weeks since that fateful day and Edward had not been the same since. He was easily distracted and refused to go out with us. He submerged himself into his work, pushing all of us away, leaving us helpless to help him. As much as I wanted to fix him, I also knew that I needed to focus on myself.

I was just appointed the new Chief Editor for the Fashion and Style section of the Washington Post. I had worked very hard for this promotion and today I was going to meet the person that was replacing me as the Assistant Editor. I knew that she had worked as an Assistant Editor for the Metro section so I was very excited to work with her because that meant that she could take the heat for all the deadlines and was a hard worker. I had inquired about her reasons for not doing the Metro section, as working that section was pretty much everyone's dream job, but they could only tell me that she had left the position ten weeks earlier for personal reasons and that they had hired someone else to replace her.

I was just settling into my new office as the saddest person, other than Edward, that I had ever seen walked into my office. "Hello Miss Cullen, my name is Isabella Swan and I was just hired for the Assistant Editor position for the Fashion and Style section," she said with surprising confidence. "Hello Isabella, it's a pleasure to meet you," I said as I extended my hand to her. "Please have a seat, I have heard wonderful things about you and I am excited that we will be working together, also, please, just call me Alice." She gave me a small smile as she sat down and we proceeded to talk about the position, my expectations, and hers.

I was impressed with Isabella. She was smart and witty. Something told me that she was going to become like a sister to me somehow. I decided right then and there that she would become my new project. I had failed miserably at making Edward happy, but perhaps I could try with her. This girl was so sad I could feel the pain coming off her in waves.

"Isabella, one of the things that I would like to implement in my department is that Fashion starts within, so I believe that a makeover is on the way for you, my dear," I told her with enough assurance that I was sure she would not suspect I was just making this up as I went. Suddenly her eyes lighted up and she seemed excited as she told me that it was fine with her, that she needed one soon. I was surprised, she definitely did not seem like the type of person that would enjoyed me playing Barbie with, but I was more excited at my triumph.

We made arrangements to meet on Saturday at the Bubbles hair salon in Bethesda. I told her that my best friend Rose lived nearby and that I would be inviting her as she was also a fashionista like me. I spent the rest of the week getting to know the rest of my team and getting to know Isabella more. She was meant to be in our lives, I just had to figure out where exactly she would fit in, and all I could think of was Edward.

**BPOV**

Things were taking a turn for the better. My new boss, Alice, was awesome. There were no other words to describe her. She was super hyper and had the type of bubbly personality that fit in with everyone, but most importantly I felt like I could trust her.

Alice was also beautiful. She was petite, much shorter than me, but she carried herself with such grace that she seemed to be larger than life. Her fashion sense was impeccable and I could not wait for her to help me with my makeover. This was what I needed, a new me.

I closed on my new condo on Friday and Ben and Angela had helped me move over the weekend. I had stayed with them until this morning, not wanting to be alone yet. I had changed all of my phone numbers and I made them promise that no matter how sorry Mike told them he was that they would not give him, or my family, any of my new details. I would have to deal with my family when I was strong again, the best way to deal with Renee was to not show any kind of weakness or she would take over, and I was done being handled like a puppet by everyone else. I had to laugh at myself at the irony of it all as I was putting myself in someone else's hands to make me over, but I could sense that Alice was not trying to control me, I knew she could see through me and was just trying to make me feel better.

I was just settling in for the first night in my new condo when I heard a commotion coming from the condo next door. "Aw, Rose baby, I did not mean anything by that, please open the door," I heard someone else as he proceeded to pound on the door.

"Go to hell Emmet, you can't expect to say something so stupid and get away with it, you moron," I heard someone yelled from the wall that connected my apartment to theirs. "Rose, if you don't open this door right now I am going to start singing every Britney Spears song I know, and you know baby, how much you hate her songs," and with that he started singing "Baby one more Time". What the hell, was he serious?

Without thinking, I opened the door, ready to curse the asshole out, when I saw him shaking his butt, standing there in all his glory. Wow the dude was ginormous! I could not help the gasp that escaped my mouth as I noticed him, and then tried to look at his face so he would not think I was staring at his monster, but I was too late. He kept singing as he looked at me, a huge smirk on his face.

I pushed him aside as I made my way to their door and started to knock. "Rose, is it? Could you please open the door and take the dick, I mean this huge, I mean this guy inside?"

I hear a chuckle from inside the apartment as a tall, beautiful blonde opened the door. "I take it you met Emmet," she said, tears running down her face as she tried to contain her laughter. "Emmet, get your sorry ass in here before you give our poor neighbor a heart attack," she yelled and then proceeded to smack him in the head as he made his way in. "I'm Rose and we just moved here, please forget the Gorilla here, his name is Emmett."

"Hi Rose, my name is Isabella, and as long as you can keep the gorilla and his monkey under control I think we are going to be great neighbors," I said as I shook her hand. She gave me a wink and proceeded to close the door.

I couldn't help but feel that some of my innocence had been stolen as I made my way to my condo. I could not shake the images from my head as I broke into a laughing fit thinking how ridiculous that situation had been. I had a feeling that Emmet and Rose were going to be great neighbors, and that they would at least infuse my dull life with much needed humor.

The week had gone buy without much incident. On Tuesday I decided to invite Emmet and Rose over for dinner and quickly we were becoming great friends.

I groaned when my alarm went off. Why did Alice have to insist that we needed to meet so early in the morning for my makeover? Did she enjoy torturing me so early on a Saturday morning? I was seriously starting to regret my willingness to go through this as I made my way to the shower and got ready.

It was just a minute pass eight as I made my way into the hair salon. Alice was already there and almost jumped in excitement as she saw me approach. "Isabella, you finally made it!" she said, clearly overly excited. "I would like to introduce you to my best friend, Rose," she started saying as a beautiful blonde turn around to see me. "Isabella, it's you!" Rose said as Alice looked from her to me and back at her. Rose told her that we were neighbors and how I had met Emmet, his monkey, and her on Monday evening. Alice could not contain her laughter as I told her how I had been traumatized for life at the sight of naked Emmet and his Britney Spears singing.

The day went by in a flash. Not only did I have a completely new look, Rose and Alice had also insisted on throwing my entire wardrobe away and replacing it completely. By the time we made it back to my condo, my feet were killing me. I made my way to the bathroom, as I took a real good look at my appearance. My hair used to be very long (down to my waist) and the color was like a mahogany brown. Now, I had dark black hair with a few blue highlights here and there, and it was cut in almost a bob with longer edges in the front. I liked the way it framed my face and it made me feel sexy.

My new wardrobe was in the lines on school librarian meets naughty girl, and not only did I have new clothes, but they had insisted on me buying the skimpiest underwear ever, telling me that sexy started with the undergarments. I was shocked at all the changes, but I also liked the new me. It went perfect with the nonsense independent woman personality that I was working so hard to portrait.

As I made my way to bed I could not help thinking of _him_, my angel. I wondered where he was. Did he have someone in his life? Was he happy? Where in the world did he live? I closed my eyes and fell asleep as I remembered detail by detail everything that happened that day, the way he kissed me, the way he held me. I missed the relationship that never was, and as happy as I had been making myself over, I could not escape the sorrow I felt for letting him go, even if he had never been mine to let go in the first place.

My Edward…


	4. Time Passes By

**AN: I do not own Twilight, please take it up with Stephanie Meyer as she is the master of it all.**

**Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers, you guys rock!! I also want to thank everyone that has added my story to their alerts; I am really excited to be entertaining you all.**

**To my Beta, girl you are awesome!! Thanks for all the help and for listening to all of my mad ideas!**

**APOV**

A soul mate is the other part of your soul that was separated from you the moment you died in your previous life, or at least that was what I believe wholeheartedly. One look in the eye and that is all it takes for both souls to recognize that they were once one. The moment my eyes met Jasper's, I knew that he was my soul mate. My entire being hummed with the recognition of my other half. The same thing had happened to Emmet almost a year earlier, although he would never admit just how profound that first encounter had been.

The moment that Edward told me that he had met his soul mate, I knew he meant it. He might have not realized exactly what he was saying that day, but that only added to the sincerity of his words. His entire being knew that he had met his soul mate before his mind had a chance to register that fact, and I believed that he still had not realized what he had told me that day back in Acapulco. It broke my heart to think that he might never see his other half again, and that he was now doomed to live his life without his one true love.

Edward had been keeping to himself ever since we came back from Acapulco. It almost seemed as he was making every effort to avoid us. Unfortunately, we were all in Washington DC, and Baltimore was not that close, so it made it impossible for us to drag him out for at least some fun. He had also refused to talk about what happened in Acapulco and he was concentrating very hard in being the best, and most dedicated attending neurosurgeon in the history of John Hopkins. I needed to figure out a way to help him, this Bella person must be somewhere and I needed to find her, but how?

While Edward kept his distance from us, we had added a new fifth wheel to our group (although I hated that she thought of it that way), Isabella. She had become our best friend. We all loved her sense of humor and liked to poke fun at the shy person that hid within. It was almost too easy to embarrass her even when she tried her hardest to portrait self confidence. She was one of those people that could never lie, and that could never hide anything, and we all found that refreshing.

Isabella had indeed become my project, but no matter how hard I would try to find her someone, she would refuse to go on a single date. After several months of trying to change her mind, I finally gave up and I asked her why. She told me that she had already met who she felt was her soul mate, and that no one would ever measure up to him. Now this sounded a little too familiar, but as much as I wanted to push for details, I felt that this was not the right time, so I decided to file my questions for a later time.

Although I had promised myself that I would give Isabella some space, it had been a year since we met and I could not help being worried that deep inside she was hurting for someone. It pained me to see her keep her guard up every time a guy took the slightest interest in her. I almost felt like she was saving herself for someone. Only if I knew who that someone was.

**BPOV**

Today was exactly one year since my "make over day", and what a year this had been. I had gained four new friends, I had gained independence, and I had completely gotten over Mike. I had a job that I liked, and things to look forward to every day.

Alice and Rose had become my confidants and we were inseparable. Alice had helped me find the fashionista in me and Rose had helped me find my confidence. Emmet was like a big brother, always ready to protect, and Jasper had become my go to person every time I wanted to have an insightful conversation about different life experiences. Along with Angela and Ben, I truly felt as if I had a new family and I was almost completely happy.

I no longer felt like I was playing dress up with my current wardrobe, I really felt like I had been reborn. I was a new woman. My hair was no longer short, it had grown to half way down my back, and I felt that it completed my look better. I had decided to keep it black because I loved the contrast it made with my brown eyes.

I really loved living in Bethesda too. It was close to the heart of DC, but far enough to allow me for some quiet strolls down the street, as I people watched. My work was definitely keeping me busy, and when I was not working, I was following my group of friends around to some new adventure.

This year had also been the hardest. I was still avoiding Renee due to her action on my wedding day and that was proving to be a difficult task. She had somehow tricked poor Ben in giving her my phone number, and she would leave at least one message in my answering machine every other day. Although I had already patched things up with Charlie, I was not ready to confront my mother just yet. It was not that I could not forgive her, I had already done that, it was the fact that she still thought that Mike and I were meant to be together and that I was wasting my life by not being with him. How could she be so blind?

Mike had no way of contacting me, so it had also been a peaceful year. I was glad that he was completely out of my life and that I had not seen him or Jessica in a long time. I did hear from Angela that Mike blamed Jessica for everything that happened and that he had refused to speak to her ever again. Angela also decided to break all contact with Jessica as she could not bring herself to forgive her for what she had done to me.

Then there was the void in my soul that had only grown deeper as the months trickled by. No matter how hard I tried to forget about Edward, I just could not help the aching feeling I had every moment that I thought of him. I felt truly ridiculous for holding on to someone that I had only met briefly, someone that was definitely not meant to be in my life it seemed. This void was stopping me from being completely happy and I felt that I needed to do one more thing in order for me to be who I wanted to be: I needed to let someone back into my life, I needed to find love.

Mondays were our busiest days of the week. We had to go through all the articles generated from the weekend about movie premiers, fashion shows, and anything to do with celebrities. We also had to look at what was coming the next weekend and make sure that we had enough articles to provide a guide for every Washington DC fashionista of what was going on in the world of fashion.

I made my way to the office after buying two triple Venti lattes from Starbucks - one for me, and one for Alice. She was already in her office and I could already tell this was going to be a long day. "Isabella, my savior!" she exclaimed as I made my way to her. She eagerly grabbed the coffee from my hand and sat down.

"We have a crazy day ahead of us, there is just so much going on, and summer is definitely one of our busiest seasons. Did you know that there are twelve weddings happening this weekend?" she continued to ramble as she started handing me my assignments.

I had come into her office this morning with a mission. I needed to tell her that I was ready to date someone and that I needed her help. I knew if I did not tell her now, I would not get another chance until tomorrow. "Alice," I said trying to get her attention. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked.

"Yes of course. What's going on? Are you ok?" she asked. "Yes, I just need your help with something," I said as I felt a wave of panic hit me. What if she went overboard with this? What was I getting myself into?

I told her that I finally felt ready to start dating again. At first she seemed a little shocked, but then started to jump around her office in excitement, and I truly regretted giving her so much caffeine this morning. "Isabella that is excellent! We need to go to the mall, and I need to figure out where we should take you… Rose and I will definitely help you find someone, and then we can all go out as a group, and maybe we could plan our wedding together…."

"Alice, STOP IT!! You are going too fast, I just want to meet someone, not get married and have 3 kids by the time Thanksgiving rolls around." I told her as I could feel the blush on my face. "I am sorry Isabella, I am just so excited. I have been waiting for you to say that for a whole year," she said sheepishly. I could not help but immediately forgive her for her outburst as she made her way to where I was standing and hugged me.

We spent a good twenty minutes discussing my new "man hunting" strategy. We made plans to go to the mall, and we were going to be discussing the rest of the plan later with Rosalie at our favorite hangout spot in Bethesda, Austin Grill. In true Alice fashion, she already had a list of potential candidates and I could not help my excitement as she proceeded to discuss the prospects with me.

**EPOV**

It had been exactly four hundred and seven days since the day I met the woman that had moved my heart. At first I was so frustrated by the fact that I did not have a single clue of where to find this woman, that the simple thought of never seeing her again, would shoot daggers into my heart. What if she forgave her husband and was now happily married? I was such an idiot.

Fortunately, time seem to be passing by at an incredible speed these days and I kept myself as busy as possible trying to avoid any free time, so that I would not have to think about her. I was starting to resent her and to resent myself for going into that trip, for meeting this mystery woman, and for not having the guts of stopping her before she left.

Alice and the rest of my family had tried to no avail to invite me down to Washington DC, but I knew that probably meant another blind date, or a shopping trip, or clubbing, and I was definitely not up for any of that. I was very glad that I lived in Baltimore and I was not too close to them as at this moment that I could not even tolerate myself.

I did meet some new friends and we would hang out any time we had some time off from the hospital. I met Angela as she made her surgery rotation at the hospital and she introduced me to her husband, Ben. I also met Tanya, one of the nurses on the surgery department, and the four of us had become fairly close. I could tell that Tanya wanted more than to just be my friend, and don't get me wrong she was very attractive, but I had made it clear that I was not interested in dating anyone. She would always end that conversation with "I can wait for you Eddie boy!" Gah, I hated that stupid nick name.

Lately though, Tanya had really stepped up her game. She always managed to be in my surgeries, and she even managed to have a similar schedule than mine. The woman must have good connections at the hospital. Last night, I found her naked in the doctor's lounge area waiting for me.

"Hello Eddie, do you fancy something in here?" she purred as she stood up from one of the couches. "Tanya, please put some clothes on, we are at the hospital and you know we could both get fired if someone were to walk through that door" I told her, trying my hardest not to sound like I was being rude.

"Eddie, don't be like that!" she scolded. "We could just lock the door. Please don't deny that you are attracted to me too."

"Please stop, this is really not the time or the place for this," I told her. I looked frantically around the room to see if I could spot her clothes but I could not find anything. This woman was crazy and damn she was hot, but never as hot as my Angel. _Shit! I really need to get her out of my head… maybe Tanya could help me… hmm._

"Eddie, I will be a good girl and put all of my clothes on if you promise me that you will take me out on a date tomorrow." _Damn she was sneaky._ However, this is what I needed, someone to take off my mind from that woman I met in Acapulco. "Alright, it's a date then," I said suddenly hoping I wouldn't regret this. Tanya jumped in excitement, what a freaking sight, and ran toward me planting a kiss on my lips. "I'll see you tomorrow then, hunk," she purred as she winked her eye and me and turned around to get dressed.

So I was going out on a date with Tanya. This was my chance to maybe start something new in my life, a chance to forget the impossible. I wonder what Alice would think of that. Perhaps I should call her and tell her the news, but perhaps I should wait and see if we go pass the first date, she could turn out to be a total psycho.

The date with Tanya went well. We definitely had a lot of things in common and there were no awkward moments at least during our meal. I decided to take her to the Cheese Cake Factory at the Harbor place, and she seemed a little disappointed at the lack of privacy. After we finished out dinner, she decided that we should sleep together because apparently I was exuding so much sexual tension that she felt that I would explode into a million little pieces.

We went to her apartment and we had quite the night, she was definitely good in bed and I was not complaining, but I was a little freaked out. Tanya had started to make plans for me to meet her sisters, her parents had died when she was young, and she wanted to meet my parents, and she had all these plans. She was definitely eager to be with me. Did I want to be with her?

As much as I tried to have a good time, every time I kissed Tanya, I would imagine that I was kissing my angel. I would imagine that she was the one in my arms and that I was making love to her. Tanya was so immersed in her own thoughts that she did not notice when I mumbled "Bella," as I spilled into Tanya.

If only I had the smallest of hopes of ever finding her again, but since that was not possible, I decided to go along with Tanya, maybe along the way I would feel something for her, and she was a nice person, maybe I could fall in love with her.

**Mike POV**

Bella, Bella, Bella… MY BELLA. It was amazing how oblivious she was to the fact that I had been following her home every night for the last 3 months. I had to hire a private investigator to find her, but it had not been hard at all. Did she really think she would get rid of me so easily? Fool!

For a year I have been planning my revenge. Bella had made a fool out of me on our wedding day, the day that was supposed to make me the envy of every single man in the planet, and she had ruined it all. Bitch! She would pay, and I was patiently waiting for the moment when she would have to surrender to me and finally give me what she denied me off all these years.

I would follow her every single time, as she took her last train connection from China Town and made her way to Bethesda on the Red line of the Metro. I would always seat a few rows behind, always keeping an eye on her.

She had changed. She now dressed like a freaking whore, and I could not wait for my turn at her pussy, she was going to be mine in all the sense of the word, and then she would beg me to marry her once again; but this time I would not do such thing. I had other plans for my Bella. I let Jessica off the hook easily… she barely felt any pain.

It was just the rehearsal for Bella, she deserved more and here I was ready to service her.


	5. Monsters

**AN: I offered Stephanie Meyer my pink and black skull socks, but she would still not give me the rights to Twilight. Sigh!**

**To all my reviewers, you guys are awesome. I love all of your takes on my story and it inspires me to write more.**

**To my gorgeous Beta, you are so awesome I ran out of words to describe it! Thanks for all your fabulous help!**

**This chapter has several POVs, I know that a lot of people don't like to jump from POV to POV, however I felt this was necessary for me setting up the plot. I hope is not too confusing and that you guys enjoy it.**

**BPOV**

Why did I have to put myself in Alice hands? I must have had a death wish at the moment. She had dragged me to the mall three times this week, and then set me up with a date on Thursday and another, today. I was beat. To make matters worse, neither one of the dates had gone well. It wasn't that Alice was setting me up with losers, but neither one of them really grabbed my attention, and neither one of them were like Edward…_Shit, I really need to stop thinking about him and get it together._

I was just about to enter my apartment when I heard Emmet's booming voice call me. "Isaboo, how are you?"

"Emmet, why do you keep calling me these ridiculous nicknames?" I asked. "Oh Isaboo, don't be mad, it's just that, if you would have been my little sister, I would have had tons of nicknames like that for you" he told me looking a bit embarrassed.

"Aw Emmet, does Rose know that you can be this sweet instead of the dork that she smacks around all the time?" I asked him trying to convey that I was not mad at him and that I thought his nicknames were cute. "Listen, if you are going to insist on calling me nicknames, why don't you just call me Bella. That is what everyone used to call me."

"Bella, that sounds great, I will call you that from now on," he said, suddenly looking very excited. "Did you just get back from your date?" he asked. "Yes I did, and now I am exhausted," I told him. "That bad, huh?" he asked. "Not bad, just not wonderful either. Perhaps my standards are too high." "Nah, I don't think so, it is good to have high standards," he said.

We talked for a couple more minutes about what happened on the dates, and he gave me what felt like a bear hug before leaving from his apartment. "Bella, I am sure there is a guy out there for you, you are great. Just be patient." If only he knew. _Sigh!_

After taking a nice, long shower I decided to cuddle in bed with a book. I was very tired but also wide awake. I needed to figure out a way to open myself completely to the idea of dating. I knew that I was holding myself back and that I was the cause for both dates not going well. I was making it impossible for anyone to make a connection with me.

I was just getting started with the second chapter of _Pride and Prejudice _when the phone rang. "Hello?" I answered. "Bella!" Angela exclaimed, sounding really upset.

"Hi Angela, are you ok? You sound upset," I asked her. " Bella, there is no easy way to tell you this… Jessica's mother just called… umm… Jessica…umm… she was… "God Angela, tell me what happened?" I asked, I was starting to get a bad taste in my mouth. This could not be good. "Jessica was MURDERED…"she screamed as she started to cry. "What!? What do you mean murdered?" I asked.

Angela proceeded to tell me how Jessica's mother had gotten worried about Jessica because she had not heard from her in a couple of days. Jessica and her mother were really close and she would talk to her every day. She was so worried that she called Macy's to see if she could get a hold of her there. She had spoken to her co-worker, Lauren and she told Jessica's mother that Jessica had missed work for a couple of days now and that she was planning on checking on her that day as she thought Jessica would get fired if she kept missing work.

"When Lauren went to her apartment, she found her door unlocked and decided to call 911 before going in," Angela continued to tell me. "It was a good thing she called the police because when they went inside they found her body… and…Oh God! She had been stabbed several times, and she was left naked, her legs spread wide with...with a post-it on her forehead that said WHORE."

Angela and Ben were planning to come to DC in order to attend Jessica's funeral the next day. I told them they could stay in my spare bedroom, and she said that they would arrive in a couple of hours as she needed to find a replacement for her next shift at the hospital before leaving.

After hanging up with Angela, I got up and made my way to the spare bedroom so that I could set it up for them and I collapsed in the bed. The thought of Jessica being murdered in such a way made me feel so sad. She had been a total bitch to me, but she had also been one of my best friends. What could she have done to deserve something so horrible? I really hoped the police was able to catch the monster that did this to her soon.

Jessica's funeral was very sad. Her parents were so broken hearted and everyone was both angry and devastated. The police told her parents that whoever did that to Jessica, must have had a close relationship to her because it was what they called a crime of passion. The only leads they had were that they believe it was a male, that they were probably in a relationship or had been, and that she had been murdered three days before she was found. They also told them that the person who committed the crime was very meticulous as they were unable to lift any prints or find any evidence that might aid them in identifying her murderer.

Angela was able to have someone cover her shift for the entire weekend, so she decided to stay with me until Monday morning. On Sunday, we went to _The Madeleine_ for brunch. We spent all of our meal catching up. Angela was now on her second year of her residency and she was leaning towards becoming a Paediatrician. She told me how surgery had been one of the best rotations she had so far, mainly because the attending doctor in charge of her training had become her friend, but she had always loved kids, and she really felt that working with them was her true calling. I told her about my decision to start dating and described in detail my two dates as of her request. She told me that she was so excited and I had realized that I needed to get over myself and open up to find someone.

The rest of the weekend went in a blur and before I knew it, I was saying goodbye to Ben and Angie. "I am going to miss you guys, let me know when you have a weekend off so that I can go up there and spend some time with you guys. It has been too long." I told Angela as they headed for their car.

"Actually, next weekend is the gala to honour our top surgeons. Why don't you come up so that I can introduce you to my new friend and mentor, Dr. Cullen?" Angela asked sounding hopeful. "Sure, that would be fun." "Great, make sure to bring a cocktail dress, it will be a semi-formal function," she said as she got into the car. "That means another shopping trip, ugh!" I told her as we waved our goodbyes.

Dr. Cullen, hmm. I wonder if he was related to Alice and Emmet. I would mention it to her once I got to the office, perhaps she would be going up there next weekend as well. It would be nice not have to drive on my own.

**EPOV**

I was on my way home after working all weekend at the hospital, when I noticed that I had several text messages from Tanya. Why was she texting me so much? She had left the hospital only 6 hours before I did, I would have to talk to her about that. She had become a stick of glue ever since we started dating and I was starting to wonder if she was a little crazy. I decided that I would ignore all her messages for now and that I would not let myself get irritated by them until I had a chance to sleep. I was a dead man walking.

I only got a chance to open the front door, when I heard a voice that was quickly becoming annoying. "Eddie, my hunky man, you are finally home," Tanya exclaimed as she made her way over me and hugged me. "Tanya, how the hell did you get into my apartment," I asked, not caring to mask my irritation.

I had not given her a key to my place and I was angry that she had found a way in. "Eddie, don't be mad. I figured that since we are dating and I would be getting a key to your place soon, that I could show you how much I love you by saving you a trip to the hardware store. So I made a copy of your keys while you were working on Saturday."

I could not even tell her how mad I was. I was so angry I could not get my thoughts straight. "Eddie, please tell me you are not mad…" she was saying as I headed to my bedroom and started gathering her stuff. " Tanya, get the hell out of here!" I yelled, my anger getting the best out of me. "You had no right to make such assumptions, look how pathetic you are! It's like you are some psycho stalker bitch from hell." I regretted the words as soon as they came out. Sure she scared the crap out of me with her behavior, but I had never spoken to a woman in such a way. "Eddie, how could you talk to me like that?" she asked as tears starting to run down her face.

"Look Tanya, I am sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude. But I think this is moving way too fast, and to be honest I don't think I am ready for a relationship with anyone right now…" I was telling her, but she started shaking her head vigorously and held up her hands trying to stop me from saying anything else. "You can't leave me Edward; you are my only hope to happiness before… I die" she said as she approached me and clutched her hands on my shirt.

"What do you mean before you die?" I asked, not liking the way this was turning out. "What I mean is that I have pancreatic cancer and I only have a year or two left to live. Would you really want to abandon me, knowing that? Wouldn't you feel guilty if I died all on my own?" she questioned, still holding on to my shirt, as if she was dangling over the edge of a precipice and I was the only think keeping her from falling.

I didn't know what else to say. She was right, I would feel horribly guilty for leaving her now. Tanya was a beautiful woman, so full of life. She had beautiful blue eyes, very nice plump lips, and a great body. Why couldn't I fall in love with her? _Because she was not Bella._

I held her as she cried for what seemed like hours, asking me to assure her over and over that I would not leave her. After what seemed like an eternity, she fell asleep from her exhaustion and I carried her to my bed. I sat down next to her, not really ready to go to sleep. I was feeling so many emotions at the moment. What a fucking mess! How could I leave her? I realized that it would be impossible to do so, she needed me and I was not one to back out from anyone, especially with her situation. I just was not sure how to handle the fact that she would die. For once, I was glad that I had no feelings for her as it would had made things a lot worse, but I felt trapped. With a sigh I laid next to Tanya and I fell asleep shortly after.

**TPOV**

Boy that was close. I can't believe he almost dumped me. What an idiot! Thankfully I had come up with a quick idea and saved myself, but now I was going to have to figure out how to keep up the charade. Me, dying? Ha! What a fucking joke! This was going to be easier than I thought.

I was glad. Edward had not fallen instantly for me, as all men usually do, and I was leaning towards tricking him on knocking me up in order to marry him. However, this plan was much better. I could now rush him into a wedding, and basically have him eating out of the palm of my hand with little effort.

No man was immune to my advances. Let's face it, I was probably the most beautiful woman that had ever lived. I knew this and I always used it to my advantage. Edward had proven to be a difficult subject, but in no time he would be so in love with me, that he would even believe how I miraculously got cured from my incurable cancer. Ha! I could even attribute it to the power of his love, and he would believe it.

A few years ago, I had an affair with the Director of the Oncology department and I was pretty sure he was willing to do anything to prevent me from telling his wife. His wife was one of the wealthiest people on the entire Mid Atlantic region, and he was terrified of the possibility of her ever leaving him. Not to mention that her father was rumoured to have connections to the Mafia and he had threaten to kill him if he ever did anything to upset his precious daughter. This was indeed going to be a piece of cake.

I took a long look at my future husband and I slipped out of the bed, careful to be as quiet as possible and made my way to the kitchen to make a few calls. By this time tomorrow, I would have test results and everything that I needed to convince Edward that I was dying. Damn, I am good!

**APOV**

This weekend had been great. I was so lucky to have Jasper. It always amazed me the way we seemed to fall more and more in love with each other with each passing day. While a lot of couples got used to a routine and used to being with their partner, and little by little felt the passion leaving their lives, our relationship seemed to be the total opposite. There was never a dull moment in our relationship. I was truly the luckiest woman in the world.

This weekend, he had decided to surprise me by renting the penthouse at the Willard Inter-Continental, located right next to the White House. I had come home on Friday from a long day at work and he was expecting me there, a bouquet of roses in one of his hands and a blindfold in the other. "What's going on?" I asked him trying to suppress my excitement before I could no longer hold it together and I jump him right then and there.

"Hey, sexy lady," he purred. "This is going to be a surprise. Please turn around so that I can blind fold you." I did as he asked and I felt him move close to me, faster than I thought humanly possible. He pressed his body against mine, and started placing butterfly kisses all over the back of my neck, as his hands started to trail upwards, not missing a single inch of my body as he made his way to my face.

"Baby… mmm, you smell so good." He told me, blowing a little bit of air into my ear before he nibbled on my earlobe, sending a wave of pleasure all over my body, and making me weak at the knees. Carefully he placed the blindfold over my eyes, and secured it before turning me around and pressing his lips to mine. "Jasper… baby… I can't wait!" I said against his lips as I slowly open my mouth allowing him entrance.

Too soon he pulled his lips from mine, making me whimper at the separation, and turned me around, placing his hand on the small of my back. "Are you ready?" he asked. "Always for you, baby," I told him as he guided me out of our apartment and into our destination.

After a short car trip, he stopped and got out of the car, handing the keys to who I assumed was a valet person. He opened my door and let me out of the car slowly, and brought me close to him, his hands never leaving the small of my back as he guided me to what I now know, was the hotel. We took the elevator and it seemed to go up forever, and walked a few more steps before I heard the unmistakable noise of a door being opened with a card key. As soon as the door opened, I was assaulted by the smell or roses, and the smell of the delicious food he must have arranged to have delivered for us.

He gave me a sweet peck on the lips and took my blindfold off. "Wow," I exclaimed as I took in the view of the room. We were standing in a large suite surrounded by glass windows. We could even see the White House from one of the sides. There was another door that led to a bedroom, where a large canopy bed with white linens stood in the middle of the room. On top of the bed was a heart made of red rose petals.

"Do you like it?" Jasper asked, not able to disguise his excitement. "Oh Jasper, I absolutely love it! What's the occasion?" I asked. "Do we need one? I just thought that I should show you how much I love you, baby. You deserve the world," he purred at me, a sexy grin on his face. I could not resist my urge to be with him anymore and I ran to him, jumping in his arms, and wrapping my legs around his waist. "I guess dinner can wait," he said in a deep husky voice. "I love you Alice."

We made passionate love for hours, not caring about our now wasted dinner. We just could not get enough from each other. It was amazing the way our bodies would mold to one another and we were truly just one being as we made love. There was no need for words or gestures. Our bodies knew what we needed and we made love in a way that left us both satisfied.

When we emerged from the bedroom it was already 11:00 p.m. Jasper decided to order a light dinner since what he had ordered earlier was probably spoiled by now, not to mention cold. We ate dinner silently, never letting our eyes stray from one another. As soon as we were done, Jasper produced a bottle of champagne that I had not noticed before. He placed it on the table and made his way towards me, getting on one knee as he reached me.

"Alice, my love, would you like to spend the rest of your life with me? Would you marry me?" he asked, a sound of confidence in his voice as he knew as well as I did, that we were meant to be together. "YES!" I screamed as I wrapped my hands around his neck and kissed him. I was so caught up in the moment that I hadn't noticed that he had a small tiffany box in his hand. He had opened it revealing the most beautiful solitary diamond I had ever seen. He placed it on my finger slowly as he began to kiss me softly on my neck, moving upwards towards my chin, and finally reaching my lips.

We spend the rest of the night in the heated passion of our bodies melting together. We left the hotel before noon the next day. Jasper had packed everything I needed the night before, and we changed into comfortable clothes as we were going to spend the day visiting museums and other locations, trying to find the perfect place for our wedding.

We finally made it back to our apartment around 6:00 p.m. and I quickly grabbed my phone to call Rose. I could not wait to tell her the news. I simply told her that I had something to tell her and that she and Emmet should come over as soon as possible. Twenty minutes later, they were in our apartment, sipping champagne with Jasper and I, and feeling almost as excited as Japer and I were. "It was about time you proposed dear brother," Rose told Jasper and she hugged him once again. "Did you guys set up a date yet?" she asked.

"No, not yet. We looked at different venues today, but we are probably not going to set a date until after your wedding this summer," I told them. "Well, damn!" Emmet cried out, earning a smack on the head from Rosalie. "I was just hoping someone would take the plunge before I did," he said sheepishly, earning another smack from Rosalie.

"Sheesh, Rose, are you smack happy or what?" he asked her, a smile on his face letting her know he was not mad. I had a suspicion that he actually enjoyed the way Rose manhandled him a little too much.

"You guys are hilarious. I can't wait to tell Isabella," I said.

"Oh yeah, I bet Bella will be just as excited as we are," Emmet said.

"Wait… what did you just call her?" I asked Emmet, a new realization lighting in my brain.

"Bella..." Emmett said with a questioned tone, "Her new nickname."

_Was she Edward's Bella?_


	6. So Close, Yet so Far

**AN: I don't own anything, Stephanie Meyer still does. **

**First of all I want to thank my friend My Lion. My Lamb for giving such a sexy name to a new character I introduced in this chapter. He is going to play a key role in the story and I really hope you guys like him. His picture is on my profile under Gage.**

**Also, I want to thank my wonderful beta Jagga-Love. Not only she fixes all of my grammatical horrors, she also wrote the dress descriptions on this chapter. Girl you rock and you know it! Pictures of the dresses are also in my profile.**

**Last but not least, to all my reviewers and everyone who added the story to their alerts, thank you! You make this all the more fun.**

**----**

**APOV**

"…_police investigators say that they have linked the 'Post-it' killer to two murders in the greater Seattle area and another one in Mexico. There are still no clues as to who this person is, there has been little or no evidence left at any of the crime scenes, but one thing is now certain, a serial killer is lose on our streets…"_

Gah! "Bad news here, bad news there, a serial killer walking around town, I don't even know why I bothered with the news during my mornings. They are so darn depressing!" I turned off the TV and headed to the kitchen to grab a water bottle before heading out for work. I had not been able to sleep much last night. I was trying to piece together every single detail that both Edward and Isabella had mentioned about their soul mates.

Unfortunately, I did not have many details on either one of their stories. Isabella had not even mentioned were she had met this so-called soul mate, but she had promised to tell me all about it at some point, and today will be the day for her to fulfill that promise. As I analyzed things over and over, I realized a couple of things, and all I was looking for now was evidence prove my theories. For starters, Edward and Isabella were very alike: both of them were extremely reserved people, both of them had sworn not to date as no other person could measure up to their soul mate (although Isabella had changed her mind recently), and both of them had met and somehow lost their soul mate. It had to be them. I could _feel_ it was them.

-----

Traffic had been a bitch. If it wasn't for my quest of reuniting soul mates, I would have hated this Monday as I tended to hate all the others. I loved my job, but DC traffic was a nightmare, especially on Mondays, and there was also the fact that Monday's were our busiest day of the week. _Great._

Instead of going straight to my office, I headed to Isabella's to see if she was already there. I was hoping she was so that we could have some extra time to chat. "Alice! How was your weekend?" she asked as soon as she saw me approach her door. Good, I was glad she was already here. "It was incredible girl! We have so many things to talk about. Would you mind stepping into my office for a few minutes?" I asked. "Sure, I actually have some things to talk about with you as well," she said as she stood up to join me.

Once in my office I asked her to tell me about her weekend. I already knew that both of her dates had gone bad, but I was curious to see if she had met again with either one of them or if anything else exciting happened. I was not expecting what she told me. She explained that on Friday she had found out that her ex-best friend had been murdered. I told her what I heard in the news this morning about the Post-it killer and we both shivered at the thought of a serial killer lurking around our beloved city. We both agreed that we would be going to take some self defense lessons at the same place Rosalie did, we did _not_ want to be easy targets for anyone.

"So, Isabella, I was wondering if this would be a good time to talk about what happened to you before we met. You had mentioned that there was a catalyst that had urged you to change who you were and that you had suffered a great deal. What happened?" I questioned. She gave me an uncertain look and then started to bit on her lip.

"Do we have to now?" she asked, looking as she was hoping I would say no. "Yes, you went to two dates with two nice guys and the dates were terrible. I think that in order for you to open up to another person you need to deal with your past demons, and I can certainly help you with that," I told her as I reached out and patter her hand. "Alright, I guess you are right. It all started the day of my wedding…"

Isabella told me about her relationship with Mike and what had happened to her at her wedding. I could not help the giggle that escaped me as she related how she had taken her dress, shoes, ring, and veil off and had ran from her wedding in her underwear. Then she told me about her angel, how she had crashed into him and how something had taken hold of her and for a moment she had forgotten who she was, where she was and connected at a level she never thought possible with this stranger.

"Where did all of this happen?" I asked. "This was in Acapulco, about six weeks before we met," she said. "Did you at least get the name of this guy?" I asked, already knowing the answer, but needing to hear it regardless. "Yes, his name was Edward…" she said, a tear running down her face.

I stood up and gave her a hug. "Everything will be alright Isabella. I just know you two will find each other, trust me on this, I just know." I told her. She gave me a small smile as she headed out of the office. In the other hand I was super excited. I was going to be able to complete both of my projects at once, and what a way to end this. Yes!

----

"Are you ready for lunch?" Isabella asked, leaning on my door frame. "Yes, let's go. Where to?"

"How about we go to _Corner Bakery_? I have been craving the _Chicken Pomodori_." Isabella said, as I grabbed my purse and headed out of my office. "That sounds wonderful," I noted as my stomach growled.

We grabbed our lunch and met back at the table. We were at Union Station, one of our favorite places to people watch at lunch time. At one side of Union Station, you could catch the Metro and head anywhere into the city. On the other side were the commuter trains. The place was always packed with travelers and tourists, as well as local professionals. Everyone was always hurrying around trying to get to their destination. On the lower level, there was also a huge food court where you could get food from a lot of different countries. There was also a movie theater and some shops.

We spoke a little more about Isabella's past, her parents, and a date that I had set up for her later this week. A date I was hoping went terribly wrong, as well, now that I knew she was Edward's Bella. I was going to keep those facts to myself until I could figure out a way to get them together, and then let destiny do its thing.

"Alice, I forgot to ask you something," Isabella said. "Are you by any chance related to a Dr. Cullen at John Hopkins?" Wait, had she already met Edward? Was I wrong?

"Yes, as a matter of fact, my brother is a Neurosurgeon there, and so is my father" I managed to respond. "Why, do you know him?" I asked, making an effort to hide my panic. "No, no, I have never met him. My best friend Angela is doing her residency at John Hopkins and she mentioned that she was friends with Dr. Cullen. She invited me to a Gala this Saturday." In my haste to get Isabella's info, I had forgotten all about the Gala. "Yes, of course, my father is one of the surgeons being honored that day. We are all going, are you?" I asked her, as I formulated a plan in my head.

She told me that she was planning to go and we made plans to commute together. Baltimore was not that far off, but traffic on Fridays could be a nightmare, so we could all keep each other entertained on the way. I would ask Emmett to take his Jeep so that we could all fit. "OH MY GOD Alice, what is that on your finger!?" Isabella gasped, pointing at my engagement ring.

Once again, I was so caught up in Edward and Isabella's world that I had managed to forget my most exciting news. "Jasper proposed this weekend," I told her as she squealed like a five year old girl. "Details, I want details Alice" she said. I told her everything that happened with Jasper this weekend, the hotel, the proposal, looking at wedding venues. She asked if we already had a date, and I told her that we were going to take our time and would not probably set the date until after Emmet and Rose's wedding next summer. We spent a couple more minutes talking about my upcoming nuptials and then we headed back to work. We would be meeting this evening after work to go to the mall and find her a dress for this weekend and also an outfit for her date on Wednesday.

----

**BPOV**

Wednesday was finally here. Alice and I had spent so much time chatting about personal stuff on Monday that most of our work had spilled over to Tuesday and we worked until the wee hours of Wednesday morning trying to catch up. It was too late to catch a train as the Metro had shut down for the night, so I decided to take a Taxi. Fortunately, in those circumstances, I was able to bring the receipt back to the office and they would always refund me the money spent.

I gave the taxi driver his money and a tip and headed out of the cab. There were many cars parked right in front my building so I had him drop me off a block away. I lived in a very nice neighborhood and I did not feel afraid of walking one block all on my own. I was halfway down the block, when I heard footsteps right behind me.

I quickened my pace just in case, but then I heard the steps hurrying – catching up. I discreetly opened my purse and I grabbed my pepper spray bottle. I turned around to look at who was following, but there was no one. How weird. I could have sworn someone was chasing me, _following_ me. I was now in front of the building door, and I made my way in as soon as possible, making sure that the door closed behind me.

----

The rest of my Wednesday had gone by in a blur. Alice had given me permission to come in around noon so that I could be rested for my evening. I was going out with one of Alice's college friends. His name was Gage Evans and for what I had seen on the photo that Alice showed me, he was very handsome. He was tall, about six foot two, had dark brown hair, almost black, dark brown eyes, and a medium build. He worked at the Pentagon as a civilian employee, processing grants and contracts with several companies in the private sector.

My cell phone rang at exactly 6:00 p.m. It was Gage. I said goodbye to Alice - it looked like she was going to spend another long night at work - and left the office. He was standing right outside the elevator, and I immediately recognized him. "Isabella?" he asked as he approached me. "Yes, that's me, nice to meet you Gage," I told him as I shook his hand. He lived in Bethesda just like I did, so we had decided to have dinner at _Green Papaya_, it was a small Vietnamese restaurant at the heart of Bethesda and only a couple of blocks from my apartment.

We instantly clicked. We had so many things in common. He had been born and raised in Seattle and had moved here for college. He had attended Maryland University at College Park just like Alice, Rose, Jasper and Emmet had. We talked about our upbringing, our taste in music and books. He was almost as passionate about cooking as I was. I really felt comfortable with him and I was really looking forward to another date. After dinner, we went to a coffee shop called _Cosi_, and had coffee as we spoke for hours.

He asked if he could walk me to my apartment and I said yes. For the first time in a long time, I felt comfortable with another person, and I kind of liked Gage. He was almost perfect…_but he was not Edward._

"Isabella, I had a wonderful time tonight. You are absolutely gorgeous and very smart. Thank you," he said as he grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. "The pleasure was all mine Gage, thanks for a wonderful night." I told him.

"Are you doing anything this weekend?" he asked, looking hopeful. "Actually I am going to be out of town attending an event with my friends," I told him as he lowered his eyesight to the ground, looking rejected. "But how about we get together next Wednesday?" I quickly asked, trying to convey that I was interested.

"That would be wonderful. Should I pick you up at work then?" he asked. "Yes, that sounds like a plan, and we can figure out where to go then." I replied.

He moved closer to me, and slowly leaned his face until it was close to mine, and very softly gave me a kiss on my cheek. "Until then," he said as he moved away. I felt myself blush as I looked back at him. A kiss on the cheek was perfect. I was not sure if I was ready for anything else, and I really wanted to get to know him before we went any further. "Until then," I repeated. He waved goodbye as he started to walk away, and I waved back, feeling very glad that I had met him.

----

"Road trip!" I heard Emmet squeal as I approached his Jeep. The rest of the week had gone pretty smooth, but I was glad that the weekend was here. I had told Alice on Thursday that my date with Gage had gone wonderful, but she looked like she was disappointed to hear that. Was she sorry she introduced me to him?

I knew that I was a little broken from all the emotional baggage that I carried with me, but why would she set me up on a date with someone she did not want me to date? I decided that I was going to ask her what that was all about at some point this weekend. It was not like her to be so unenthusiastic about something, especially the fact that I had a good date.

The road tip turned out to be quite eventful. It started off with a battle of the iPods as Rosalie and Emmet argued whose iPod was better suited for the trip. Jasper suggested a compromise and we listened to Emmet's iPod for the first half of the trip and then to Rosalie's on the second half. Emmet knew all the lyrics to every Britney Spear songs in his iPod, apparently he was quite obsessed with her.

Rose spent the first half of the trip ridiculing him about his music taste and fighting over the volume of the radio. I thought the bickering would be all over once it was Rose's turn to use her iPod, but boy was I wrong. Rose was a big boy band fan and she had everything from Boys II Men to the Jonas Brothers. Emmet spent the second half of the trip talking shit about all the boy bands, and of course the fight for the volume never ceased.

By the time we arrived at Angela's townhouse, I had a killer headache. Alice and Rose were going to meet me and Angela tomorrow at Angela's house so they could help us with our hair and makeup and we would make our way to the party together. Ben and Jasper knew each other from when they were kids, and he was going to hang out with the guys and meet us there.

----

"Don't we look fabulous?" Rose asked as she took a last glance at her reflection in the mirror.

She was wearing a red strapless dress with intricate black lace embroidered all over the cloth. It was tight to her body with a cute ribbon under her bust, embodying her beautiful curves. A little bit of the bottom half flared out to above her knees like a skirt. She looked drop dead gorgeous with the thing, the length of the dress accentuating her long, toned legs.

Alice was wearing a flutter-sleeve dress in black; it looked wonderful on her delicate features. Adorned with a delicate bow around her waist, the ruffled attire proved to show off Alice's curvy figure and yet it was incredibly simple. The dress itself ended above her knee which allowed Alice to look so innocent and yet simply beautiful. Just like her.

Angela had on a deep V-neck dress, also in black, with an A type skirt that flowed to just slightly below her knees. The material around her chest ruffled to the middle, emphasizing the upper half of her lovely body. The laced sleeves gave off an elegant angle to the effortless cut of the dress.

I had on a navy blue jersey knot-front halter dress. The V in the front went almost to my waist and the length of the dress itself, ended right at my knees. At my waist, the long ribbon tied allowing me to see the curves that I never really knew existed. I loved the simple color and cut of the dress, it was like a blank canvas: nothing really there, but so much to see.

We really did look fabulous.

Alice seemed to be more excited than usual, I knew that this was an important event for her and her family, but she seemed too worked up. Angela, Alice, and Rose had hit it off right away, and I could tell that she fit in into our group perfectly. Alice kept grabbing Angela and whispering things to her as they both would steal glances at me every now and then. I had the suspicion that they were planning something, and that it had to do with me.

The gala was being held at the Four Seasons near the harbor. As soon as we had arrived, Alice, Rose and Angela were flanked by their respective other halves, and at that moment, I regretted not inviting Gage. I was not the fifth wheel this time, I was the seventh wheel, and it was a bit depressing. I was sitting at the same table as Ben and Angela while Rose, Emmet, Jasper, and Alice were seated with the rest of her family at the other end of the room. Alice said that she wanted me to stay at my table while she grabbed her family, she wanted to be the one to personally introduce us all.

She came over a few minutes later, her hand hooked on one of the most handsome man I had ever see, _apart from Edward_. "Isabella, these are my parents," She said as I stood up to meet them. I hadn't noticed a beautiful woman standing next to them with caramel color hair and green eyes,_ just like Edward's._

"Hello Dr. and Mrs. Cullen, it is a pleasure to finally meet you," I said as I stretched my hand to greet them. Mrs. Cullen quickly wrapped me in a hug and told me to just call them Carlisle and Esme. They were the most perfect couple I had ever seen, and they looked so in love, I could only hope someday to be as in love with someone as they seemed to be.

"Apparently my brother is late, something about him wanting to surprise me with something," Alice said, a look of annoyance on her features. She said that she would come back with him and introduce us as soon as he arrived.

I spent the next thirty minutes chatting comfortably with Angela and some of her colleagues seated at our table. Angela asked me if we could go to the restroom and we both excused ourselves and left the table. "Thanks so much for inviting me Angela, I am having a great time" I told her as we made our way to the stalls.

"I am so glad you are having fun, but I have a feeling the best is yet to come," she said, sounding completely excited. I wondered what she had meant by that, and I figured that maybe she was going to be awarded something as well. I heard more footsteps enter the restroom and I knew we were no longer along. I heard someone talking to another person as I was finishing up.

"So Tanya, you and Dr. Cullen huh?" the person asked. "Yes, we are madly in love," someone else answered, I assumed it was Tanya. "We are getting married soon, he tells me constantly that he can't wait to make me his wife and that I am the love of his life," she continued. I made my way out of the stall when I saw the two women talking. "Congratulations Tanya," a wash out blonde said; a look of pure envy on her face. "Thanks Lauren," the other woman said, she must've been Tanya.

She was gorgeous. I assumed she had meant Alice's brother, and I was sure Alice would love the surprise he had for her. He was obviously engaged and in love. Alice had mentioned a couple of times that her brother had been single for way to long and that one of her projects was to find him a special someone to make him happy.

I looked at Angela, who had made her way out of her stall at the same time as I had, and she no longer looked excited. She looked as if she had received some horrible news. I thought that perhaps it was the nerves and I followed her quietly to the table. As soon as she arrived at the table she excused herself saying something about warning Alice.

I was about to seat back on my chair when something green and sparkly caught my eye. I turned around slowly hoping that I was not imagining things, but there he was: _my _angel. I gasped as I looked at him and I closed my eyes and reopened them in an attempt to assure myself that he was not a figment of my imagination. Edward looked absolutely gorgeous in a charcoal gray suite. His beautiful bronze hair looked sexier than ever and he was wearing my favorite crooked smile. _My Edward._

He was staring at me, his eyes a mix of excitement and lust. He started to approach me, his eyes never leaving mine. I was in heaven, I had found my angel, and this time I was not going to let him go. He was right in front of me and was going to say something when the beautiful woman from the restroom approached him.

"Eddie, there you are," she said as she kissed him in the lips and wrapped her arms around his waist. I wanted the earth to swallow me whole right then and there. I was too late. He had someone in his life, he was in love, he was getting married.

I had always thought that we had shared the same connection, but now it was painfully obvious that he did not, and I felt so ashamed…so embarrassed. I felt the hot tears trail down my face and I could not take it anymore, so I did the only thing I thought of doing at that moment…

I ran…


	7. Hit the Floor

**AN: I still don't own Twilight; I am just having fun with the characters.**

**I would love to hear from all my readers out there. Do you like the story? Any plot theories?**

**Jagga-Love, as always you rock my world baby! Thanks so much for your hard work!!!**

**----**

**EPOV**

I was angry at Tanya for making us so late for the party. She had no real good excuse for it, and deep inside I knew that she just wanted to make a grand entrance. Today she would be meeting my parents and the rest of my family and she said she wanted to look her best for them. I thought it was weird how selfish and pretentious she was for someone who was doomed to die soon.

It had been my experience with families dealing with children with brain tumors and other types of degenerating diseases that the moment they lost hope all the little things in life ceased to exist and the only comfort they had was to remain together for as long as possible.

Tanya must have been in denial because she went through life only caring about her appearance and nothing else. I also thought that it was very strange that she seemed so full of life and so healthy. She had mentioned that she stopped radiation therapy more than a year ago because there was no hope left for her, so I could not understand how she was not showing any signs of her disease. Something was not right, and I did not think I would be able to get a straight answer from her. For some reason I felt like I could not trust her.

I had become increasingly irritated with her over the past week. All she seemed to want to talk about was the fact that she wanted to be married before she died. I had no idea how, but I needed to tell her soon that I had no intentions on marrying her. I felt guilty enough not to abandon her, but I still thought that the best thing for us was to break up. Of course, for now I had to pretend that I was fine with everything she asked because I wanted to check out on her mental state before I made any decisions. I did not want to be responsible for causing her any more grief or problems. If she was dying, I was going to do my best to support her and be there for her, even if it was not the way she had envisioned it.

My mother called me from the gala asking me where I was and Tanya was seated next to me, so I had to tell her that I had a surprise for them but that I would arrive shortly. I turned to leave my room as I winked at Tanya to let her know she was the surprise, and what a surprise this would turn out to be.

To say that my family was going to be shocked about me dating was an understatement. I was also very afraid of Alice's reaction. She always seemed to know who would be best for me, and I had a feeling she would not approve of Tanya. I am sure if she could, she would have moved air and sea to find Bella… _My Bella._

We arrived at the gala twenty minutes later and Tanya immediately excused herself so that she could go into the restroom, saying something about looking perfect for her future in-laws. She had this unique ability to get on my nerves almost instantly. I knew she would have been upset if I met with my family without her, so I lingered near the dance floor waiting for her. I was about to go find her when someone caught my eye.

There was this beautiful brunette walking from the direction of the restroom, she had beautiful dark hair and a sexy little dress, she looked exquisite. I looked all the way down from her legs to her upper body making sure to catch every detail of her. I then slowly lifted my face so that I could see hers when it struck me… my angel. It was her, and all the memories I had of her did her beauty no justice.

I stood there frozen. I didn't even want to breathe just in case it was just my imagination. I watched her as she looked at me and quickly turned around as she approached her table. _Had she forgotten me? _

I was still frozen, staring at her like a stalker, when she turned back around and met my gaze. My knees went weak and my heartbeat accelerated as she recognized me. We remained motionless for what seemed like an eternity. It seemed as she was also trying to convince herself that I was real. I was able to gather my thoughts and I started to make my way towards her.

I was within touching distance when I heard the most annoying sound in the world. "Eddie, there you are," Tanya said as she kissed me in the lips and wrapped her arms around my waist. I did not even turn around to acknowledge Tanya as a look of horror crossed Bella's face. I was about to push Tanya to the side when my angel took off running, leaving me speechless and unable to move once again.

"Eddie, honey, who was that?" she asked as anger crossed her face. "Let go of me Tanya," I snarled as I took off running after Bella. This time I was not going to remain motionless as she ran from me. This time I was going to get her number, her full name, and I was going to tell her that there had not been a single second in my life that I had not thought of her for the last year. I wanted to tell her that although I barely knew her, that I had missed her so much that it ached and that my heart was empty without her. I wanted to tell her that Tanya meant nothing to me, that she was the one I wanted.

I was too late. I saw her speed up in a taxi as I reached the outside of the hotel. I thought about grabbing another taxi and following after her but I was stopped by Tanya. "What the hell are you doing? What is your problem, Eddie?" she asked, not bothering to mask her anger.

"Edward?" I heard Alice call after me. "Why did you let her go?" she asked. I could not understand what she meant. Did she know that Bella was the angel I met in Acapulco? Why didn't she mention anything before?

"Who are you and what are you talking about?" Tanya asked, glaring at Alice.

"Tanya, stop it, you are being ridiculous!" I yelled.

"I'm the one who is being ridiculous!?" she asked, an incredible look on her face. "You just took off after some slut and have another one here ready to pounce on me and you are calling ME ridiculous?!"

"Isabella is no slut you witch, and who the fuck are you to talk to my brother in such a way?" Alice yelled back as Tanya gasped, shocked that she was not portraying her perfect self in front of my sister.

"Oh, I am sorry. This is just a big misunderstanding. My name is Tanya, and I am Edward's fiancée," Tanya said to an incredulous looking Alice.

"Hold up, my fiancée? What the hell Tanya? I have definitely not proposed to you, stop acting like we are more than what we really are." I told her as I felt the heat of my anger rush to my face.

"Can someone explain what is going on?" my mother asked. I had not realized that she had witnessed the entire exchange.

"You must be Esme," Tanya stated as she approached my mother, her hand stretched to say hello. My mother took her hand politely and then looked right at me still waiting for an explanation.

"Mom, Edward just found the woman he has been talking about this whole year and he let her get away, and I am not sure why he still standing here wasting time with this woman," Alice sneered as she glared at Tanya.

"Alice, I think it would be best if you let me explain," I said. "Tanya and I have recently started dating. She was my surprise to you guys tonight."

"You just started dating and she is already calling you her fiancée?" Alice asked. "What kind of psycho is she?"

"I am no psycho, I am just…" Tanya was saying as she fainted. I was able to grab Tanya before she hit the floor. We made it back inside the hotel lobby and I took her into one of the sofas in the waiting room area. I called her name several times before she woke up. "What happened?" she asked.

"Tanya, you just fainted. I don't think you should be getting as upset as you were, it's not good for your health. Please stay here, I need to talk with my family in private. Would you be alright if I leave you here for a few minutes?" I asked and she nodded.

Now my entire family was in the hotel lobby and had witnessed Tanya fainting. I had a lot to explain to all of them. I made a notion with my head for them to follow me outside, and they all followed me quietly.

"Look, I know you all have many questions, but please let me explain and then you can ask whatever you like." I started, not giving them a chance to object. "I met Tanya a little over a year ago, she is one of the nurses in the surgical wing. We had been friends for some time and decided to go on a couple of dates. I realized that I did not have feelings for her, and that I would never develop them, and I was about to break it off, when she told me that she was dying. I know that she comes across as if she is a little crazy, but please understand that she does not have a long time left to live, and I think she is clinging to me because she does not want to die alone."

"Edward, that is very noble of you, but you need to clarify things with her," my mother said.

"And what about Bella? I thought you were dying to find her?" Alice asked.

"How do you know her Alice, and why didn't you say something?" I asked, my irritation coming back.

"Is not like you ever gave us any details Edward! She works with me, and until recently, I had no idea that she was the person you met in Acapulco. As soon as I realized, I wanted to tell you, but later I found out that she was going to be here, and I decided to surprise both of you," she said sheepishly.

"What am I supposed to do now Alice? As much as I want to run after Bella, I can't leave Tanya like that. You saw how this whole situation affected her."

"You need to think of you Edward. You can still be there for Tanya as a friend, but if you don't love her, then you need to make that clear to her. I also have a feeling that you want to be with this Bella girl you met, and if that is what your heart is telling you, then go for it," my mom told me as everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Let's have a conversation about this later, the ceremony is about to start and we all need to be there," my dad said. We made our way back to the hotel and Tanya was still waiting where I left her. I helped her up from the couch and I whispered in her ear that it would be alright.

The ceremony was a few hours long. My dad received an award for his groundbreaking work in the world of neurosurgery, and both my mother and my father received another award for all of their charitable contributions to the hospital. I was able to have a quiet conversation with Alice throughout the ceremony and she told me that Bella was staying with Angela. Apparently Angela was Bella's best friend since they were in high school, and they were very close.

After the ceremony was over, I went to see Angela and Ben. She told me that Alice had figured out that I was Bella's mystery man, and that she was in on the plan to get us together tonight. I explained about Tanya, she was shocked. Tanya and Angela were not close friends, but we had hung out as a group for a while now and she was surprised to hear that she had been dying all this time.

I asked her if she knew where Bella was, and she told me that Bella had left for Washington DC on the last train leaving Baltimore. She had taken a taxi straight from the gala to the train station, and she called Angela from the train asking her to send her things with Alice. I asked her if she was alright and she told me that Bella wouldn't tell her anything, that knowing Bella, it would be a long time before she talked to anyone about what happened. She also told me that it was best if I stayed out of Bella's life until I sorted out my situation with Tanya.

What was I going to do? I had no idea how to confront Tanya without creating another crisis, I needed to talk to Alice and figure out a good way to do this. "Look Edward," Angela said. "This thing with Tanya is really, really strange. I have been on my oncology rotation for two weeks now and I have never seen her there," she continued. "I have a bad feeling about all of this."

"I know Angela, me too. She showed me her test results, and it does look like she is telling the truth, but I do get this feeling that she is acting." I told her. She felt the same way I did and told me that she would keep an eye on her just in case.

----

I spent the rest of the weekend with my family. Tanya was upset that I was not allowing her to spend time with them, but I told her they needed time. Alice did not agree with Angela about me staying away from Bella. As far as she was concerned, I should just dump Tanya and go find Bella. "I have seen the way you have ached for her Edward," she told me. "You can't let her go this time. She will find someone else and you will lose your chance."

I told her that I was going to gather my thoughts and decide what to do, and that I would let her know as soon as I made a decision. She told me that she was going to explain to Bella what was going on with Tanya. She did not want Bella to think that I had fallen in love with someone else.

I was not too happy with that plan, I wanted to be the one telling Bella how much I cared for her, and the truth about Tanya, but I also did not want her to be upset, so I decided to let Alice talk to her while I figured out what I was going to do. I knew that all I wanted to do was be with Bella, but I could not face her until I had everything figured out.

I went back to my apartment on Sunday evening after saying goodbye to my family. My parents were moving from Baltimore to Washington DC in a week to open my father's new practice. They had purchased a house in Chevy Chase, MD, and were looking forward to being near the city.

I had a lot of decisions to make, one of them being if I wanted to join my father in his practice. I had accepted the Attending position with John Hopkins on a temporary basis until I figured out what my next move was, but it was time for me to make a decision. Could I leave Tanya all alone over here? Should I leave Bella alone and give her a chance to be happy? I had no idea what to do. Bella had been so close, yet she was so very far. I felt like fate had dealt me a bad hand. _My angel…_

---

**RPOV**

This weekend had been interesting. We all knew that something had happened to Edward while we were in Acapulco, but we did not know exactly what had happened. I also had no idea that he had been part of Bella's past. Leave it to Alice to put two and two together and figure it out, the girl was a psychic genius.

I hoped Bella didn't mind, but we had all started referring to her as Bella ever since Emmet mentioned that she had allowed him to call her that. I felt bad for her. I knew that she had tried to hide all her emotions from us the entire year. Mostly I think, because she saw them as a sign of weakness. I would have to have a conversation with her and make it clear that opening up to her friends was not a sign on weakness, it was – in fact - a sign of trust, and we all loved her very much. She was so similar to Edward in that sense, always so reserved, always suffering in silence.

Our trip back to Washington, DC had been very quiet. Emmet loved Bella as a sister and he was really upset that she had left in those terms and that she had not answered her phone all weekend. Alice was beating herself over and over for her plan going so horribly wrong, but there was no way either one of us could have guessed that Edward was dating someone. He had refused to date for a very long time, claiming that he preferred to be alone and that no one was interesting enough. I couldn't understand what he saw in Tanya, she was as fake as a plastic Barbie.

Emmet had been so worried about Bella that we made it to DC in record time. He dropped Alice and Jasper off at Friendship Heights, were they lived, much to Alice's disappointment. She wanted to talk to Bella and explain things, but Emmet was very protective of her, and he did not want her ambushed by all of us at once.

As soon as we got back to our apartment building he went straight to Bella's apartment, not even bothering to bring up our bags from the Jeep. I told him that he would not go by himself and that I was as worried about Bella as he was, and that I needed to be there too.

We knocked on her door and waited; when there was no response we knocked again…nothing. I was about to grab Emmet and take him home when he yelled. "Damn it Bella, I know you're in there. Please open the door or I will have to break it. Either way, I have to see you. I have to make sure that you're ok." We heard footsteps coming from her apartment as she approached the door. We were shocked by the sight.

Bella was standing at the door, in her PJs, looking as if someone had beaten her up. Her eyes were so swollen from crying that she could barely open them. "Bella… my God… are you alright?" I asked. She shook her head no as a fresh batch of tears started flowing down her face. Emmet immediately picked her up and placed her in her living room. "Bella, please talk to me. We're here for you," Emmet told her, looking as if he was about to start crying as well.

"It was all in my head…"she managed to say. "I am so stupid."

"No Bella, that is not true. Edward is my brother and I know for a fact…" Emmet was telling her as she interrupted.

"Your brother? You all knew?" she asked, looking disappointed.

"No Bella, we had no idea," I explained. "Alice was the only who figured it out, and she did so just recently. We are all very sorry about what happened. Edward…" I was explaining, but she stood up and made a motion for me to stop talking.

"I don't want to hear it, Rose. Please promise me that this will be the last time we discuss Edward. I was wrong, and I am just going to move on and forget about him," she said, an adamant look in her face.

"But Bella, he is…"

"No Emmet, I meant not one word. Please?" she pleaded. "The same goes for Alice, Jasper, Angela, and Ben. I want to close this drawer of my life and I want to move on. I don't even want to cry about it anymore."

"Fine, we will do as you say, but you have to promise something in return," Emmet pleaded. "You have to promise us that you will come to us once you are ready to talk about it and we will clarify things for you."

"There is nothing to clarify…" she stated.

"Just promise us, please," I said, hoping that she would leave a window open for us to explain everything.

"Fine, I promise."

"Good, then we promise to drop the subject," I said, _for now._

We spent another hour with her, making sure she was truly alright. I cleaned up all the tissues from her room, and Emmet brought her bags back. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep on the couch as we cooked her some soup. I put the home brewed soup in her fridge so that she could have it later, and Emmet finished her laundry and tucked her in bed. He was so sweet with her. I knew that one day he would make a wonderful father and I could not wait for that to happen. Our wedding could not come soon enough.

We left Bella a note in the kitchen letting her know that her laundry was in the drier, and that the soup was in the fridge. Once back in our apartment, I called Alice and I explained everything that had happened and what we promised Bella. Alice was livid. She was really upset that we had left her with her misunderstanding and that she did not get a chance to explain things to her.

I reminded her how stubborn Bella was, and I pleaded with her to respect our promise for now. Bella has just recently started opening up to us, and I did not want her to go back into her inner shell. After a lot more coaching Alice agreed, but not before she warned me that if Bella showed any sign of unhappiness, that she would take that chance to explain things to her and make her realize she was wrong.

After hanging up with Alice, I went to find Emmet. He had fallen asleep on our bed, and he looked so peaceful. He never ceased to impress me, he was such a dork, but he had this huge heart and he was the most sensitive guys I had ever known. I was so lucky to have him.

----

**MPOV**

"Bella, Bella… what have you been up to, my little wife?" I screamed at the nothingness of my hotel room. I had lost her trail this weekend and I was not happy about that. "I'm coming to get you, honey!" Soon… very soon, she would pay.


	8. Ten Thousand Miles of Dirt

**AN: Stephanie Meyer owns everything twilight. I can't even claim Gage or the fabulous Barbie line.**

**I am interested in hearing your opinions on Bella after this chapter. I am trying to balance a more self assured person with some of her self doubting traits, and I hope it worked. I also would like to hear what are your thoughts on Mike… he is turning out to be quite the creep, huh?**

**Thank You to all of my loyal reviewers and to those who reviewed for the first time, I really appreciate it!**

**Jagga-Love, thanks for being the most awesome beta ever!**

**----**

**BPOV  
**

Waking up to another day of sorrow was not easy. There were no tears left, not even anger. The only thing left was my own annoyance at the fact that I was still thinking of him.

I made a decision the night before to stop thinking about him, however once again I woke up early in the morning with a pain in my chest and the difficulty to breathe that announced a panic attack. What the hell was wrong with me?

I realized that I had been holding on to the hope that someday I would be reunited with Edward. It was the only thing that kept me moving every day. How absurd! Living my life for someone who I did not even know was beyond pathetic. At this moment I truly hated myself.

Edward…

The famous Dr. Cullen.

Angela's mentor.

Alice and Emmet's reclusive brother.

The man who woke up a sense of need in my body.

Tanya's fiancée.

The one who would never wanted me the way I wanted him. _My angel_. I needed to bury these feelings. I needed to dig a big hole and drop every thought and sensation that Edward ever gave me and cover it with a thousand miles of dirt. It was over before it even started.

With new resolve, I got up and made my way into my bathroom. It was time to get ready for work, and I had a sense of urgency today. I wanted to drown myself in work and make myself so busy I did not have a single thought of my own. I needed to find something else to fill the void in my heart.

I also decided the night before that I would move on. I would keep looking for love somewhere else, and I would forget him. _Was it possible to forget?_ Perhaps not, but I would try my hardest. It was decided, and there was no going back. I would go on with my life as if Edward never existed.

I had another shell to shed. I was becoming someone else. I was not sure if love would touch me again, but I understood now that I was worth something, and that I was going to reach out for what was out there for me.

Gage… how quickly had I forgotten about our date. I was suddenly excited about seeing him again on Wednesday. He had been so sweet to me, and there was definitely potential there.

I needed to have someone in my life. I was so tired of coming home alone. I was tired of not having someone to hold me tight when things were going bad, or to kiss me fiercely when I was having a good time. I needed a confidante, a lover, a friend, someone who would complete me, someone to keep me warm at night, and someone who would not allow me to take myself too seriously.

I needed love.

----

As soon as I got off the elevator at our office's floor, I headed for my office. Something told me that Alice would still try to say something about her brother, and for me that conversation was over. I did not want to talk about him. I feared that if I allowed myself to talk about him with the people that knew him, I would find out that I was such a delusional loser, that all the feelings were just in my head. I was afraid of finding out how truly happy he was. I did not need to hear any of that. I would save everyone the pity and just not have any conversations involving Edward. It was best this way for everyone.

Alice never came into my office that morning. I knew she was busy because it was Monday, but I also knew that she was avoiding me for her own good. I knew how hard it was for her to keep her thoughts to herself, and by avoiding me she was being a good friend.

I was about to head out for lunch when someone knocked on my door. "Come in," I said as Alice entered my office.

"Hi Bella… is it ok for me to call you Bella?" she asked, looking a bit nervous.

"Yes, of course. I have no problems with anyone calling me Bella. What's going on?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to join me for lunch. I promise not to bring up any undesired topics of conversation," she stated as she crossed her heart.

"Thanks Alice, I really appreciate that. I would love to join you for lunch. Do you have any place in mind?"

"I was thinking _Panera Bread_ would be good. Soup is always good for when I am feeling blue." She said, a sad look crossing her delicate features.

"Are you alright?" I asked. I was worried that I may have been too self absorbed this morning. What if she had needed me? Did she fight with Jasper?

"I am fine, just sad. I promised you not to talk about it, so that is all I can say. I am sorry," she stated, the sad look on her face, breaking my heart. But I could not give in. It was best not to talk about it. It would be all better soon.

----

Lunch was a bit awkward. I could see the hard look of concentration on Alice's face as she tried not to betray my trust. I was also in my own world, fighting with myself, trying unsuccessfully not to think about what happened on Saturday.

"Listen Bella," Alice said as we were leaving the restaurant. "I am trying my hardest to keep up with this absurd promise Emmett and Rose made for all of us, but I have to tell you one thing. If that sad look has not been at least partially erased from your face by Friday, I am going to lock you in the copy room and tell you all I know. So you better find a way to be happy and stop breaking my heart this way. I can only take so much."

I nodded, unsure of what to say. _Why was this so hard for her? What did she have to tell me that would make me happier?_ I was very confused.

"I am sure I will feel a lot better after my date with Gage," I said.

"If that is what you really want, I wish you the best," she said, the disappointed look back in her face.

"Why did you introduce me to Gage if you did not want me to date him?" I blurted out. "Are you saving him for someone else? Am I not worthy of him? What's going on Alice?"

"Is nothing like that Bella, I was just hoping for something else," she said, the sad look back in her face.

"I don't know what you were hoping for. He is engaged, no? What could he possibly want with me?" I told her before I realized that I had opened the door for the conversation I was trying to avoid.

"Are you going to talk about it now? Because you are so wrong about everything and I wish you would stop being so darn stubborn," she said as anger replaced the sadness.

"I don't want to talk about him, it hurts," I said sheepishly.

"It hurts because you have all these stupid ideas in your head. It hurts because you are not giving us the chance to explain. It hurts because you are too stubborn for your own good," she yelled.

"Explain it then. What could I have possibly missed?"

"You missed the fact that by brother had been moping around thinking of you for more than a year, angry at himself for not going after you the day you two met. You also missed that the connection that you both felt that day was real, he thinks of you as his soul mate, and you have told me that you think of him as yours," she continued.

"So why did he get engaged? Why couldn't he just wait a little longer?" I asked her, tears running down my face.

"He is not engaged! That Tanya bitch made that up. Yes they dated, but he is not in love with her. He is trying to leave her, but he can't at the moment," she told me as she approached me at put her arms around me, hugging me.

"What do you mean he can't leave her?" I sobbed.

"She is dying. He found out recently, and he is afraid of causing her any more pain," she told me as she looked at my face and pulled a tissue, cleaning the tears from my face.

"She is dying?"

"Yes, she only has one or two years to live and…" she was saying before I interrupted her.

"Why did you tell me Alice? This is worse than thinking we never connected. He is right, he should stay with her, make her happy. I need to forget about him," I told her, a new surge of determination filling me. I was not going to get in between him and poor Tanya. She deserved to be loved.

"You and Edward are the most stubborn people that I have ever met. She is dying, so what? People die every day. Edward is not in love with her, and it's not fair that she is trying to tie him up so that she does not die alone. You two should be together. But no, instead of being happy, you both are upset because you insist on making your relationship an impossible one. Why can't you people fight for your love?" she told me, her face red in anger.

"Love? Alice, I have no idea if there is any love. Yes, we had an awesome connection. Yes, I referred to him as my soul made, but who knows what would have happened? The thing is I can't be in the way of him and Tanya. I won't get in the way, she deserves to have someone."

"For crying out loud, can you stop self sacrificing? For all we know she is lying so that he can marry her. It is no secret that we are wealthy, that Edward works because it's his passion, not because he needs the money. Tanya is a gold digging whore, and I am going to get to the bottom of this," she said as I waved my hands interrupting her.

"I don't think she could have lied about that, Alice. He is a doctor, he would know if she was lying. I don't want to discuss this anymore. He needs to stay with her and support her, and I need to move on." I told her.

"Bella, please listen to me…"

"No Alice, I already made my decision. I am going to give me and Gage a chance. Could you support us on that?" I asked, hoping that she would let it rest.

"Fine, if you want to be with Gage, I will do my best to be happy for you both. However, be very careful not to break his heart. He's an awesome person and he does not deserve to be someone's rebound. I am giving up with you and Edward since you both insist on being unhappy. Good luck." And with that, she turned to her office.

----

We did not speak again that day, and not at all on Tuesday. I was starting to worry that I had pushed her away. I needed to talk to her soon. I headed to her office, hoping that I was wrong. Alice had become a great friend, and I did not want her pushed away.

"Hi Alice," I greeted her as I stood at her open door.

"Hi Bella!" she greeted me enthusiastically. This was a good sign, I must have been wrong.

"I'm sorry I have not talked to you since Monday. I have been very busy with the White House Aid event that the paper is going to be covering this weekend. How are you?" she asked me as I was filled with relief.

"I'm good. Today is my date with Gage and I am really looking forward to it. He called me last night and we spoke for a few hours, he really is a sweet guy," I told her hoping that she had meant it when she said she would support me on going out with Gage.

"That's great, I hope you guys have fun tonight," she said a little too enthusiastically. Something was not right, but I decided not to push it. "What do you have planned?"

"I actually have no clue," I told her. "Gage is keeping mum about the details. He is picking me up here, and then he is taking me out to dinner, but I have no clue where."

"I want to know all the details tomorrow, have fun!"

"Thanks Alice, I will see you tomorrow!" I told her as I retreated from her office.

----

My date with Gage was great. He took me to a little Thai restaurant called _Sweet Thai Basil_, and then we spent the rest of the evening walking around Bethesda. It was late August, and tonight was not as humid or as hot as it normally would be this time of the year. It was a perfect night to walk around.

"So have you had many girlfriends," I asked as we strolled pass _Austin Grill_ walking towards the fountain in front of _Borders._

"Not really. I dated a girl named Kayleigh for a few years back in Seattle, but we broke up shortly after I moved to DC. She was a sweet girl, but the distance proved to be too much. How about you?" he asked.

"I have only dated one guy. His name was Mike, and he was an ass." I told him how Mike and I met, how we started our relationship, and what happened the day of our wedding. I was careful to avoid any mention of Edward. Edward and Gage knew each other since he went to school with Alice and Emmet, and I did not want to bring up anything that had happened just in case they were still in touch.

"That Mike is a real scumbag. I am so sorry you had to go through something like that Bella. You are such a nice girl, you did not deserve any of that," he told me as he put his arm around my shoulders. It felt nice to be so close to him. It made me feel safe and comfortable. Gage was a great guy.

"Thanks, Gage. I'm over it now, and I feel like I am ready to move forward and to open myself up for love again," I told him, hoping he did not think I was being too forward.

"I am glad to hear that because I feel the same way. I was also wondering if you were interested in giving us a chance?" he asked as he gave me a soft kiss on my forehead.

"Yes, I do. I can't promise you that this will move fast or that I would want to be your girlfriend officially any time soon, but I kind of like you Gage," I told him as I blushed. I was being unusually forward tonight, but Gage made me feel so at ease.

"I kind of like you too Bella," he said as he softly grabbed my shoulders, moving me closer to him and gave me soft kiss on the lips. He lingered a little bit before moving away so that he could look at me and smile.

"Your lips are so soft Bella," he whispered in my ear.

"Thanks," I said, not sure of what else to tell him. The kiss was nice, once again, just perfect. I wasn't ready for anything more.

After sitting by the fountain for a little while, we went to get some coffee. We spent a few hours at our new favorite coffee hang out, _Cosi_, talking about everything from the elections to life in DC. Gage was going to be a great friend, I was really happy to have met him.

----

**MPOV**

I was staring at Bella with disbelief. Who was the asshole talking to her? I was going to have to accelerate my plans. Bella needed to understand that she was mine and mine only. She was not allowed to date anyone. No one should be touching her, much less be kissing her.

I dialed the all too familiar number. "I need you in DC now," I said, quickly hanging up the phone. It was time to claim what was mine, let the hunting games begin!

----

**EPOV**

I had finally made my decision. As much as I wanted to be there for Tanya, she was no one to me, and she was definitely not _the one_. Yes we dated, but there were only a couple of dates, and I had no feelings for her. I could not stop my life for her.

I finished the last sentence on my resignation letter and I printed it. I was going to deliver it to the head of neurosurgery tomorrow. I knew that it would be a couple of months before I was actually able to leave, but that gave me enough time to sell my apartment and to sort things out with Tanya.

Alice had mentioned that Bella was dating someone. I guess I had lost my chance. I was not sure if I was going to try and talk to her again, I really did not want to intrude in her life. Apparently she did not want to intrude in mine either, as she told Alice that my place was next to Tanya. Perhaps our connection was not as strong as I thought it was, perhaps it was best for me to let her be happy with someone else. Deep inside I knew that she was too good for me. I did not deserve Bella.

After I finished with my letter, I changed into some shorts and a wife beater, my favorite workout outfit, and I headed out for a run. The warm air would help me clear my head and come up with the best way to tell Tanya that I was moving away.

Everything was already in order in DC. My father had obtained a big office location in hopes that I would join him as well as some other colleagues of his that specialized in Neurology. His plan was to create a Neurology center to treat everyone from babies to senior citizens. He could not contain his excitement as I told him that I was going to leave Baltimore and join him.

My mother was just as excited. She was the director of the Alliance against Alzheimer's and Parkinson Disease, and she wanted me to help her establish another foundation that dealt directly with children. I was excited too, I loved working with children, and this would give me an opportunity to reach out to those who were less fortunate.

I was almost home and I was nervous. I ran five miles, all the while procrastinating on my upcoming conversation with Tanya. I had asked her out for dinner tonight. I wanted to talk to her in a neutral place just in case she went bananas.

Angela had been trying to get any info on Tanya's treatment but she was unable to find anything. It seemed as if Dr. Cassidy had been the only person to ever see her or treat her. That was certainly strange. The radiation therapy was given by a specialized team, not the doctor, so I was unsure of what was really going on. Tanya refused to discuss anything else about her disease, telling me that she did not want my pity, and that learning more about it would only cause that.

Something told me that she was not being truthful, and I needed to get to the bottom of this.

I took a nice long shower in a failed attempt to soothe my tense muscles. It was unbelievable how quickly this whole Tanya thing had turned into a nightmare. I was getting ready for my dinner with Tanya, when my cell phone rang, it was Angela.

"Hey Ang! How is it going?" I asked her.

"Hi Edward, do you have a minute?" she asked

"Yes, of course, what's going on?"

"Dr. Cassidy would like to have a word with you here at the hospital," she said.

"Right now? Can this wait until tomorrow?" I asked her, a little irritated about the timing.

"No Edward, trust me, you want to listen to what he has to say before you talk to Tanya. This is very important." She told me, a grave tone on her voice.

"Alright, I will call Tanya and re-schedule for this weekend. I will see you in about fifteen minutes."

I hung up the call with Angela and I quickly called Tanya. I did not like to lie, but I didn't want her to know that Dr. Cassidy and I were going to talk, so I told her that one of my patients was back in the ER and that I needed to head in. We made plans to have our dinner on Friday, before my night shift at the hospital.

----

I made it to the hospital just under fifteen minutes and I was met by Angela at the side entrance. "Hi Edward," she waved.

"Hey you! How are you doing?" I asked

"I am doing good, still a little sad that you are leaving us, but I know you're doing the right thing.

"So where is Dr. Cassidy?" I asked.

"He is waiting for you at his office. Please listen to all he has to say before you get mad. I know you, and I just want you to hear him out. I will be waiting at the resident's oncology launch when you are done," she said as she walked away.

I quickly made my way to Dr. Cassidy's office and I knocked on his door.

"Come in," he said.

I made my way inside his office and I sat on a chair by his desk, facing him. "You wanted to see me?" I asked.

"Yes. We need to talk about Tanya," he said. He looked extremely nervous and was making me really annoyed with his constant fidgeting.

"I'm all ears," I said, wondering why he was so worked up. Was she worse?

"Tanya is not dying, she never was," he said as he stood up from his chair and started to pace around the office.

"What do you mean she's not dying? I saw all the results and all of your reports…," I was yelling at him as he interrupted me.

"They are all false Edward. Please let me explain," he said sheepishly.

"Go ahead then…"

"I had an affair with Tanya a few years ago. I broke it off after she started to take it too seriously and threatened me with telling my wife. I was so afraid she would tell Vicki that I had been helping her out with things around the hospital," he continued.

"What things?" I asked not able to mask my disgust

"I helped her get her job. I have helped her in getting rid of her competition for promotions, and things like that. Then she called me one day telling me that she needed to fake that she had cancer and was dying. At first I told her no, I had helped her with many things, but I did not want to risk losing my license, but she started threatening me with telling Vicki about our affair, once again." He took a sip from what I guessed was a glass of water.

"I had no idea why she was doing this. I had learned that with Tanya, less is better, but then I saw you together at the gala, and I saw her faint, and I knew she was lying to you. I was not sure what to do, and then Dr. Webber came to my office and started asking me all sorts of questions about Tanya's condition, not satisfied with any of my answers, she kept questioning me until I admitted to her that it was all a lie. She then proceeded to threaten me that if I did not tell the truth she would, and that it would be worse for me. She should have been an FBI interrogator instead of a doctor, she can be quite scary when she starts shooting those rapid fire questions," he stated as he sat back down on his chair.

"As you can see I am now in your hands. I have no idea what is going to happen to me. What if Vicki finds out?" he murmured, looking truly ashamed.

"What am I not supposed to find out Dave?" I heard Victoria ask. Neither one of us had noticed that she had entered his office.

I stood up, not wanting to be part of the fight that was bubbling up. "Look, Dr. Cassidy, thanks for being honest. I will not take any steps for you to lose your license, yet, but I think is best if you tell your wife everything. I will handle Tanya," and with that, I left.

"What the hell is going on Dave?" I heard Victoria scream as I shut the door.

I made my way to the resident's lounge but Angela was not there. I decided to wait for her as I was sure she wanted to know if Dr. Cassidy told me everything.

I was so angry. Tanya was such a bitch. I never wanted to see her fake ass again. She did not deserve a single second of my time. I called the locksmith and had all the locks of my apartment changed. Then I called Alice and I told her everything. She wanted to go tell Bella right away but I made her promise that she would not say a thing to her.

I was not sure if I wanted to intrude in her life. She seemed happy with the person she was dating, and I felt unworthy of her. I had ruined everything by dating Tanya. What a nightmare.

An hour later Angela came into the lounge and asked me how it went. I told her everything and she started giggling when I told him about Victoria busting in on us. "What about Bella? Are you going to tell her how you feel now?" she asked.

"I don't know Angela. Bella is dating someone and I don't want to get in the way."

"Don't be ridiculous Edward, you need to get her, stop analyzing everything so much," she told me with an exasperated tone.

"I am going to finish my time in Baltimore first, and then in a couple of months, when I move to DC, I will go find her. I will ask her if she is happy, and if she is, then I will leave her alone." I told Angela. I really hoped she would be alone, but I instantly felt guilty for thinking that way. Bella deserved to be happy, with or without me.

----

"Eddie, where have you been hiding?" I heard Tanya ask. It looked as if she had been waiting for me outside of my apartment, who knows for how long.

"What do you want Tanya," I asked, not caring if I sounded rude.

"Eddie, what's going on? You stood me up on Saturday, never answered my calls, and I came today to find out that the locks on your doors were changed. I can only guess that you can't handle being with someone who is dying and you are trying to wash your hands of me," she told me as she started to sob.

"You are such a fucking lying bitch," I yelled, startling her. "I know about your little charade Tanya, I know that you're not dying."

"How could you say that? You saw all my tests and reports," she said in a panicked voice. I could tell that she was freaking out. She had no idea that I knew the truth.

"Stop acting, I spoke with Dr. Cassidy, he told me everything, including the blackmailing that you have been subjecting him to for the past years." I yelled.

"I… Eddie, I can explain… I," she stuttered.

"I hate that stupid nickname, my name is Edward. Now get the hell out of here before I decide to call the police and tell them about your little scam. You are a piece of dirt, and I never want to see your sorry ass again. Pathetic bitch!" I was aware of how rude I was being, I had certainly not been raised that way, but she deserved that and worse.

"Fine, I was getting bored with your sorry ass anyways," Tanya yelled as she turned around.

"One more thing Tanya, if I were you, I would stay the hell away from Dr. Cassidy. Rumor has it that Victoria can't wait to tell her daddy all about you and your antics. She forgave Dr. Cassidy, but she is so not forgiving you. Last time I checked, she was working on getting you fired. So I would just move to bunfuck nowhere if I was you."

"Fuck you Edward!" she screamed as she made her way to her car.

I was hit by a wave of relief as she sped away. I had no idea how tense the entire situation had made me. I was glad it was over.

Two more months here and then I will see my angel… Bella!_ Would she still want me?_

**AN: I know that Alice came across a little too OOC on this chapter, but her character is ust having a real hard time keeping at bay when two people she loves dearly are being so stubborn with their decisions. I will have her back to her usual bubbly self as soon as things calm down a bit. Yes, the story is going to get fluffy soon, but it won't last, so brace yourselves. **


	9. A Broken Heart A Fallen Angel

**AN: Do you think Stephanie Meyer will give me the Twilight characters for Christmas? No… didn't think so!**

**Thank You! You are all awesome. I love m reviews and I am glad that little by little my story is getting some popularity. I do hate to beg, but please review… it really motivates me to write faster. **

**----**

**APOV**

November was finally here. I was really excited because it was the start of the holiday season and I absolutely loved to shop for my friends and family. I was also excited because Edward was moving to DC this weekend.

It had been frustratingly hard not to be able to tell Bella about Tanya's lies and the fact that she was no longer part of Edward's life. However, I respected the fact that Edward wanted to do this on his own, and after my failed attempt to make Bella understand last time, I was more than willing to give him the chance on this one.

Bella had been dating Gage all this time, but I could tell that they were not going anywhere. She wasn't even officially his girlfriend, and they had barely even gotten to second base. I had a feeling that those two would end up being just friends, and I was hoping they would realize this sooner rather than later. Bella might have not realized, but I knew she was holding back, she was hoping for someone else to come and sweep her off her feet, and I knew who that person was.

It was already 6:00 p.m. on Friday when I decided it was time to head home. Jasper had been away doing some research on some civil war artifacts in Gettysburg, and I had not seen him all week. I really missed him.

I was just about to enter the elevator when I heard Bella ask me to hold it for her. I did as she asked and I held the door open as she made her way in.

"Hi Alice, how was your day?" she asked. We had grown a little distant over the last few months. I felt so impotent about not being able to tell her about Edward and Tanya, and I also did not want to intrude in her relationship with Gage.

These days I heard all the gossip from Rose. She and Bella had grown very close ever since the Baltimore incident.

"It was good, but I am so glad it's Friday. Jasper has been out of town all week and he's coming home tonight," I replied.

"Did you have something special planned for him?" Bella asked with a knowing look on her face.

"Oh yeah, I found some civil war era costumes and I can't wait for us to play soldier and damsel in distress," I told Bella as I watched the look of regret in her face.

"I wish I had not asked," she said as I smirked. Bella was very shy about that sort of thing, and I thought it was fun to make fun about it.

"What about you, any plans with Gage?"

"Actually I do. We are meeting at _Foggy Bottom_ tonight, we are having a conversation about our relationship," she said while looking a bit nervous.

_Where they making it official?_ That was the only thing I could think of that would make Bella this nervous. I decided to ask her rather than jump to conclusions.

"Are you guys making it official?"

"No. I don't have any feelings for him, and I don't think he has them for me either," she said as she started to bite down on her lip.

"If you think he feels the same way, then why are you so nervous?" I asked. I was very curious about her nervous and curiosity never killed the cat.

"Oh, well… I was just worried about your reaction. I mean, you warned me about hurting him, and that is the last thing I wanted to do," she told me sheepishly.

"Silly Bella, I am not mad at you. I knew that this wasn't going anywhere and that you both felt the same way. I am sure that you guys will remain good friends," I told her while trying to reassure her that I wasn't mad.

"That's a big relief Alice. I had actually been putting this off because I was afraid of your reaction. You have no idea how hard these past few months have been. I felt as if we had been growing apart and I had no one to blame but me."

"Oh Bella, I am so sorry if I made you feel that way. This is not your fault, I was just trying to give you space. You know I love you right?"

"Yes, and I do too. Now get in your car and leave before Jasper beats you home," she said with a smile on her face. I was relieved. I did not want to make Bella any sadder than she had been ever since that Mike asshole broke her heart.

"Alright, good luck tonight and please know that I am here for you. I'll see you Monday." I waved her goodbye and I stepped into my car.

It was Jasper time!

----

**BPOV**

I was glad that things were fine with Alice and that she understood that I could only be friends with Gage. He had really been incredible over the past few months. He was so attentive, and so respectful of my space. I tried my hardest to fall for him, but no matter how hard I tried, he was not the one I wanted.

How do you find love someplace else after staring at your soul mate in the eye and knowing that that is where you are meant to be? He was simply not Edward and although Edward was making his life in Baltimore with his fiancée, I could not deny the fact that I ached for him. No one was ever going to measure up.

I had come to the conclusion that I was going to spend the rest of my life on my own. If it wasn't for the fact that I was not religious, I would have gone to the closed convent and begged them for entrance.

Somehow though, there was a peace within me. I had made wonderful friends and I knew that they would always be there for me. I was resigned to the fact that the most crucial and impacting moment of my life occurred a year and a half ago, and it only lasted a moment. That moment however, was going to be enough to carry me for the rest of my life.

I took a deep breath as I approached the restaurant. _Foggy Bottom_ tended to be a bit loud, so I was going to have to wait until we got to _Cosi_ to have my conversation with Gage.

I made it inside the restaurant and I noticed that Gage was not there. I figured he was probably running a little late, so I grabbed a table before the restaurant got too busy. I waited… and waited.

No Gage.

I checked my phone for the hundredth time and no messages. This was so unlike Gage. I was worried that something may have happened.

I left the restaurant in a hurry. I was pretty sure the waitress was glad as I had spent nearly three hours at the table only ordering cokes. I was shaking, and I was unsure if it was due to all the caffeine or the fact that I was worried about Gage.

I was sweaty by the time I made it to my apartment building. I ran all the way to my place, I was hoping to find a message from Gage there.

I flew out of the elevator as soon as it reached my floor and I made my way towards my apartment. I was frantically looking for my keys when I noticed there was something on my door. There, stuck a pink Post-it note and the messages made my knees weak as I gasped.

"Loverboy is dead. You are mine!"

I was overcome with fear, a cold sweat running down my body. I screamed.

"Bella? What's wrong?" I heard Emmett ask. I was going to respond when I heard him gasp.

"Bella, I think is best if you go into my apartment and stay there with Rose. I am calling the police."

"GAGE!!!" I yelled. "Emmett, I think it means Gage!" I could not breathe, my chest got too tight and I was having a hard time focusing.

Then everything went black…

----

I was face to face with Edward. I had found him. I wanted so bad to hug him, to talk to him, but he wouldn't move. I started to approach him but he kept moving back, a mocking expression in his face.

He was staring at something and then back at me, over and over. I turned so that I could look at what he was staring at and I gasped. It was Gage, a dagger in his heart. I screamed.

"Bella! Bella, please wake up. Bella!" I heard Rose yell.

I opened my eyes and I realized that I was not in my house. _What happened?_ Then everything came crashing down on me. Gage never showing up at the restaurant, no messages, and that hideous note on my door.

"Where is Gage?" I asked Rose. She looked down and she seemed really sad.

"Please Rose, where is he? Please tell me he's alright." I stood up. I needed to find him, now. I needed to know that he was ok.

"Bella… Gage… ugh…," was all Rose managed to say before she started crying.

"Rose, you're scaring me. What the hell is going on?" I asked her, irritated by the fact that she was not answering my questions.

"Bella, please sit down honey, we have something to tell you," Emmett said. I had not noticed him standing there.

"God Emmett, please tell me that Gage is ok. Please…" I said in a low whisper.

"I am so sorry Bella. I am really sorry. He was my friend as well…" he said as he too started to sob.

"Was? Oh no, Oh no, please tell me he's not dead, please…. Not Gage, no… oh no… Emmet! Tell me you're just joking, please!"

"Bella…" was all Rose managed to say before everything went black again.

----

**APOV**

"Where is she?" I asked Rose as soon as I entered their apartment.

"Your father just gave her something to calm her nerves and she is asleep in the guest bedroom," Rose responded.

"This is so horrible Rose. I can't believe the Post-it killer killed Gage," I said as I sat down on their couch.

"What has us worried the most is the fact that the killer seems to know Bella, and the police think that he is after her," Emmet said. The look of worry evident on his face.

"What happened exactly?" I asked

"Emmett told me how he heard Bella scream from the hallway. He went out to see what was going on and saw her staring at her door, her face pale as a ghost. He noticed that she was staring at a note in her door and he moved so that he could read what it said.

As soon as he read the note he realized that something was wrong. He told Bella to go with Rose but she started freaking out about Gage and fainted.

He took her back to their apartment and placed her in our spare bedroom while he called 911. The police came immediately and started asking him questions about Bella. He told them that Bella was worried about Gage.

The police made their way to Gage's apartment and found him dead. A Post-it note on his head, with the message '_You are next'_ written on it."

"The police think that the message was for Bella," Emmett continued.

"But who, Emmett? Bella is such a nice person. What does this killer want with her?" I asked.

"I have no idea, Alice. This does not make any sense to us either," he responded.

"Does she know about Gage?"

"Yes, we told her after she woke up. She was in hysterics, and she fainted once again. Emmett called your dad and he decided to give her something for her nerves. She had been going in and out of consciousness asking for Gage, and Carlisle thought it best if we let her rest," Rose told me.

----

The weekend turned out to be one of the worse weekends of our lives. Bella could not come to grips with what had happened and we spent the time trying to calm her down.

I called Edward. He was going to be staying at my apartment while he found a place of his own. I told him about Gage, and I told him about Bella. He came to DC an hour later and was working with Gage's parents who arrived from Seattle right away with the funeral arrangements.

Bella was unable to make it to the funeral on the Sunday afternoon. She seemed to have accepted what happened to Gage, but as soon as we were ready to leave for the funeral, she lost it. Emmett and Rose stayed behind with her, while the rest of us went to the funeral.

Apparently the killer had done so much damage to Gage that they thought best to have a close casket funeral. It was devastating. There was a huge picture of him standing outside of the Pentagon looking very proud. There was another one of all of us at our college graduation. The last one was of him and Bella.

Edward had no idea that Bella had been dating Gage. He was in shock. He really wanted to stay with her and comfort her, but we all thought it would be best if she was with people that she knew well. They may have had strong feelings for each other, but the fact remained that they had only spoken once. Also, Emmett was adamant about leaving her side. He really saw her as a sister and her pain became his pain.

"Gage was my brother, my best friend. Words can't describe how painful it is for him to have been taken from us in such a violent way," Liam, Gage's brother was saying at the funeral.

"He was such a selfless person, always eager to help anyone. His life's passion was to make people happy and to try and improve the world. I will miss our heated discussions about politics, the society, and the welfare of our children. He will live forever in our hearts and we will try our best to live our lives the only way he knew how to live his, selflessly," he continued as he sobbed quietly.

There was not a single dry eye in the audience. Gage was truly a remarkable man. This was so unfair.

----

Once again, the police had no evidence. There were no prints, nothing out of place. They had no idea who they were looking for. They asked us to keep an eye on Bella, at all times. We were to always be with her, and if anything out of the ordinary happened, we would contact them as soon as possible and they would move her to a secured location.

We decided to take turns staying at her apartment. She spent most of Sunday with Rose and Emmett, and I sent them back to their home to rest on Sunday evening. I knew they needed their rest. I would be staying with her for the night while Jasper and Edward would stay in our apartment.

My dad gave us a prescription for Bella just in case. I knew she was going to be upset that she had missed the funeral, but I thought it was best that she had. I don't think she would have been able to handle it. She was truly hurting for him, and most of all, she felt responsible.

Our priority now was to protect her. I really hoped that the police were able to find the killer soon. That piece of scum did not deserve to walk another day free.

I woke up at exactly 6:00 a.m. and I made my way to Bella's room. I wanted to be there when she woke up. I opened her door slowly, I did not want to wake her, and I made my way to her bed as silently as I could.

It was empty. Bella was gone.

----

**EPOV**

I was packing my last personal items when my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and I realized that it was Alice. She was so impatient.

"I am going to be there in a day silly, why are you calling me so much," I said as soon as I answered the phone. She was driving me crazy with all her calls. She had been calling me all week making sure I knew all the details of the move. I was starting to regret asking her to let me stay in her apartment while I found a place of my own.

"Edward something happened. We need you in DC as soon as possible," she said in a weak voice. It was evident that she had been crying.

"Alice, what happened? Are Dad, Mom, and Emmett ok?" I asked in a panicked voice.

"Yes, everyone is fine, but something happened to Gage."

Gage? Wow, I had not heard of him for over a year. I had no idea he was still close with my siblings.

"What happened, Alice?" I asked her.

"Gage…he was murdered," she said as she started to sob.

I couldn't believe it. Gage was younger than me and he was dead. How could someone do such a thing? Gage was a great person, he always helped others. I could not think of a single person that would have wanted to harm him in any way.

I immediately called Ben and explained to him what happened. I asked him to come to my apartment tomorrow and keep an eye on the movers. He told me not to worry about it and to give my regards to Bella.

Bella… would I see her? I quickly pushed the thought aside and concentrated on getting an overnight bag together so that I could leave.

I made it into DC in just over an hour. Alice gave me instructions to Rose and Emmett's apartment as they were all there with Bella. I was confused. I could not understand what Bella had to do with Gage.

I made my way to my brother's apartment and I was met with my father in the hallway. He explained that Bella and Gage had been dating and that the police thought the killer was after Bella. He told me that he had to sedate her because she was in hysterics and that we all needed to keep an eye on her.

It all made sense now. Bella had been dating Gage. I could see why, Gage was a great guy, and he was someone who deserved to have such an angel like Bella. It was horrible that it had ended this tragically, but what worried me the most was that someone was after Bella, my Bella.

I was ambushed by Alice as soon as I entered Emmett's place.

"Edward, I am so glad you are finally here," Alice said as she hugged me.

"Where is Bella? Is she alright?" I asked.

"She is asleep now. We need to let her rest. Rose and Emmett are keeping an eye on her for now, then it will be my turn. We are not going to leave her alone for a single second," she told me.

"Why would someone want to harm her or Gage?" I asked.

"We have no idea. We have been unable to ask Bella any questions. All she has been able to tell us is that it is all her fault."

"Poor Bella," I said. I felt so impotent at the moment. There was nothing I could think of that would help ease her pain.

"Listen, Gage's family will be arriving from Seattle in less than an hour. Please go to DCA and pick them up. They are going to need help with the funeral arrangements. We will stay with Bella, she will be fine," she said as she guessed my concern.

"Alright, but please call me as soon as she wakes up. I am not sure if she is going to want to see me, but I want to be there for her if she does."

----

The next couple of days went by in a haze. I made myself useful by assisting Gage's family with all the arrangements. All I wanted to do was be with Bella, but I understood that it was best for me to keep my distance, for now, and I kept myself busy in order to distract myself. Every cell in my body was urging me to go see her, to hold her and console her. I wanted to make it all better for her.

The funeral was heartbreaking. Gage's parents decided to bury his body in DC because this place had become Gage's home. This was the place he had come to, in order to follow his dreams, and they knew that this was where he wanted to rest.

I decided on Sunday evening that I was going to see Bella the next day no matter what. I needed to see, with my own eyes, that she was ok. I also wanted to be the one protecting her. I needed to be with her.

The movers had put all of my belonging in a storage place. I kept my clothes and some personal items, but I missed my piano. My music was the only thing that helped me relax. Unfortunately, there was no place for it at Alice's place and I was going mad without it.

----

I woke up very early on Monday morning. I could not wait anymore. I needed to see Bella now!

I took a quick shower and made my way to the kitchen.

"Hey Edward, good morning," Jasper said.

"Good morning, how come you are up so early, man?" I asked.

"I could ask you the same thing bro, but I have a good idea why you are up so early. You're going to see Bella, right?" he asked.

"Yes, I have been patient enough. I need to see her. I need to make sure that she's alright."

"Good, then perhaps you can take Alice's place for a little while. I know she has not slept much since we all found out on Friday and she needs to rest. She is too darn stubborn and refuses to leave Bella's side."

"No problem. I will stay with Bella and send Alice this way. See you later man," I said as I made my way outside.

I climbed into my Vanquish and I sped off to Bella's place. I wanted to be there when she woke up.

----

I made it to Bella's apartment building in less than fifteen minutes. I was very glad that I had not encountered a single cop on my way. I quickly took the elevator and I half ran to her apartment, not bothering to stop at my brother's apartment on my way there.

I was about to knock on the door when Alice came out, looking frantic.

"Edward, she's gone!" she frenzied.

"Bella? What do you mean she's gone? I thought you were keeping an eye on her," I spat at Alice angrily.

"I am sorry, I fell asleep. I went to her bedroom as soon as I woke up, but she's not there. I was going to see if she was at Emmett's" Alice said as Emmett opened the door to his apartment.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Bella is missing, is she there with you?" I asked him.

"No, she's not here. What the hell happened!?" he asked.

Alice told him what she had told me and we decided to call the police.

The police arrived a couple of minutes later and asked us all sorts of questions. Was the door forced? Did Alice hear anything? Could she have gone on her own? Where could she have gone?

We did not have a lot of answers for them. It was possible that Bella had gotten up and left, but where? We paced around her apartment for a while after the police left.

Emmett went to a few of the local coffee places to see if he could spot her, but there was no sign of her. The police didn't seem to think that the killer took her, but they were looking for her regardless. I really hoped that they were right, that Bella had left on her own, and that she was fine.

Then it hit me.

She had missed Gage's funeral, she probably wanted some closure. "The cemetery!" I yelled.

I did not give anyone a chance to respond. I grabbed my keys and I ran out of Bella's place. I really hoped that I was right. She had been missing for a few hours now and I was dying of fear.

As soon as I was outside I was drenched by the rain. It was an extremely cold, fall day and it had been raining for about an hour now. This made me more worried. What if she was out in the open, getting wet? The last thing she needed was to get sick.

I stepped on the gas and I sped off to the cemetery. Once again thankful, that the police was not around. I parked as close to the gates as possible and memories from Gage's funeral flooded my head.

I made my way around the tombstones in a hurried pace. I had a strong feeling that Bella was here. My entire being could feel her. As I approached the area where we buried Gage, less than twenty four hours ago, I started to run. The rain had picked up and I wanted to find Bella quickly.

I was almost there. I could see his tombstone and I looked around to see if I could spot Bella. I started to get more anxious with each passing second. _Where was she?_ Then I spotted her.

She was lying at the foot of Gage's grave, crawled up in a fetal position, her hair fanned all over her face. My heart broke. There she was, broken hearted, a fallen angel.

My fallen Angel.

I quickly made my way towards her as I called her name, but she did not seem to hear me. I picked her up, moving her hair away from her face and I cradled her in my arms on my way to the car. She was so cold, her breathing shallow. She looked so fragile, so lost.

She was wearing her pajamas, and her feet were only covered with socks. I wondered how she made it here.

I tried to shelter her from the rain as much as I could. She was shivering.

We were almost there, when she opened her beautiful, brown eyes.

"Edward…" she whispered before she fainted, again.

**AN: Ducks and run from Charley…. Someone please find me a Safe-House!**


	10. Clues

**AN: Usual disclaimers apply.**

**I hope that everyone had a wonderful Holiday along with your loved ones. I can't believe that this year is almost over.**

**To my loyal reviewers, thank you! It makes me so happy to read each and every one of your reviews. I also love hearing your thoughts and ideas, it gives me food for thought as I write.**

**Jagga-Love, babe, you are a Star!! Thanks so much for all your hard work!**

**JPOV**

This was the first time in my law enforcement career that I had to travel out of Seattle for a case. The Post-it killer had started his killing spree here in Seattle and I was willing to collaborate with anyone in order to put that piece of scum behind bars.

"Gah, that was the longest flight ever," my partner, Seth said.

"You mean your first flight ever?" I chuckled.

"Yeah, well, even for a first flight it was too darn long. I was contemplating jumping off the plane at some point. I really hope we catch that motherfucker soon. It would at least make up for this flying torture," he sighed.

We walked straight to the exit. We had both only brought carry-on bags. Reagan National Airport was small. It was a nice looking airport, and we could catch the yellow line on the DC Metro right outside. I was anxious to meet the FBI agent assigned to the case.

Thirty minutes later, we were standing right outside the J. Edgar Hoover Building, the FBI Headquarters.

"You must be Detectives Black and Clearwater," a tall, muscular man said.

"Yes, that's us," I said as I shook his hand.

"I am Agent Ford. Welcome to the FBI Headquarters," he greeted us.

He led us inside the building, first taking us to a registration area so that we could get our visitor batches. He instructed us to not leave his side under any circumstances. The FBI had numerous security rules in place to ensure the safety of all of their agents.

After being introduced to who knows how many people, we were escorted into a conference room.

"Agent Lamb, Detective Smith, let me introduce you to Detectives Black and Clearwater from the Seattle PD," Agent Ford introduced us as we made our way around the room greeting everyone.

"Agent Lamb is our specialist in witness protection and Detective Smith is our contact from the Maryland PD. With your help we hope to catch this serial killer," Agent Ford said as he motioned towards me and Seth.

We met for over five hours going over all the details on the case. The Post-it killer's first victim had been Seth's sister, Leah. He had left a Post-it on her head that read, _Look who's laughing now, bitch!_

His second victim had been a maid at an Acapulco Hotel with the words _Do not disturb_ scrawled on a purple Post-it.

Next was Jessica Stanley. Both Seth and I knew her from Forks. She was never fond of anyone that lived in the Reservation, but we were sorry to know of her fate, regardless.

His newest victim was Gage Evans. This was the reason we could not put a complete profile together. Most serial killers went for a specific type of victim, and up until Gage we thought it was women. Another interesting fact was that all the victims could be traced back to Seattle except the Mexican woman, Ana Rosa Cruz.

The only evidence left at the crime scene was the Post-it notes. Unfortunately there was no way to track where or who had purchased them, as Post-its are a very common item.

The creepiest fact of all though, was that the killer seemed to be ambidextrous, and there seemed to be no preference on which hand he used to stab the victims.

One thing was for sure, he was just getting started.

"Have you considered the possibility that he is not acting alone?" Agent Lamb asked. She was a beautiful woman. She had nice, wavy blonde hair that went almost to her ass, and her ass was wonderful. Too bad we were here on business. "I mean, I am not an expert in profiling, but I believe that we have never encountered a serial killer with some many variables." Her green eyes glittered as she came to this realization.

She had a good point. That would explain how the killer got to Leah in Seattle, and less than eight hours later murdered Ana Rosa in Mexico.

"We also have to figure out what Isabella Swan's connection is to all of this," Detective Smith added.

"Isabella Swan? What are you talking about?" I asked. I really hoped they were not referring to my childhood friend, and former crush, Bella.

"Sorry Detective Black, we did not get a chance to completely brief you on Mr. Evan's murder. Isabella Swan and Mr. Evans were dating," Agent Ford said.

"Her involvement, however, seems to go far beyond her relationship with Mr. Evans," Detective Smith said.

"Would you care to explain?" I asked. I had a real bad feeling at the pit of my stomach.

Agent Ford proceeded to explain that Isabella Swan was from the Seattle area, that she had been in Acapulco at the time of Mrs. Cruz murder, that she was friends with Ms. Stanley, and that the killer had left a note on her door hinting about Mr. Evan's murder.

My worst fears were confirmed. This was Bella.

"Why isn't she under witness protection?" I asked, as I glanced at Agent Lamb. Bella needed protection. I was angry at the fact that they had not moved her to a secured location yet.

"If Ms. Swan is indeed the Post-it freak next intended victim, then we believe we have a better chance of catching him by keeping her under surveillance rather than placing her in a safe house. There have been no direct threats to her, and we have no other clues that could help us figure out who this freak or freaks are," Agent Ford stated.

"That's BULLSHIT!" Seth yelled, completely irritated. Bella had babysat for Seth until he was almost eight and he loved her dearly. "I am not losing another sister to this fucking killer. She needs to be under protection ASAP."

"I agree with Seth," I added. Catching this bastard was not worth risking Bella's life.

"Sister? Could you explain your relation to Ms. Swan?" Detective Smith asked.

We explained that we knew Bella ever since we were babies. Agent Ford thought that we should be removed from the case but we refused to let him get away with that.

"Trust me Ford, you remove us from this case, and you can kiss any help from Seattle PD goodbye," I told him, not really giving him any other alternatives.

We spent the last hour talking about our witness. Agent Lamb explained what was being done to protect the person's identity. It was crucial to keep the witness safe. We all hoped that the witness could provide us with new leads.

----

After the conference was over, I called Charlie. He was really upset. Bella had not mentioned anything to him and he had tried to get a hold of her this past Saturday and she still hadn't returned his call. I explained that the FBI was keeping watch of her, and that she was being taken care of by her friends.

The hardest part was convincing Charlie to stay. I knew he just wanted to protect Bella, but I felt that his presence here was only going to hinder the investigation. He finally gave up after making me guarantee Bella's safety.

"I will have your ass if anything happens to my little girl," he threatened, his tone deadly serious.

"I promise to take care of her Charlie," I told him, really hoping that I would be able to keep that promise.

"You better keep me posted Jacob. If anything else happens, anything at all, you can bet your ass I will be in DC before you can say _Oh Shit!_" he snarled.

I asked Charlie for Bella's address and we hung up shortly after.

It was already passed two in the morning by the time we made it to the hotel. We decided to wait until the next morning to visit Bella. We were warned against telling her about the surveillance. They wanted her to continue as normal as possible, in hopes of catching the creep.

----

It was 9:00 a.m. by the time we were standing outside of Bella's apartment. I knocked on the door and it was opened by a tall man with bronze looking hair.

"We are Detective's Black and Clearwater from Seattle PD, and we are here to see Ms. Swan," I said in an official tone. I had no idea who this dude was, and as far as I was concerned Bella was newly single.

"Hi, I am Edward Cullen, please come in," he said rather wearily.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"She's in her room, and I'm afraid she's not available at the moment," he replied.

He explained that Bella was taking some sedatives and that she had been asleep for a few minutes. Apparently she had left her apartment in the morning and had gone to Mr. Evan's grave.

I was going to have a talk with Agent Ford about the lack of surveillance this morning. They could have prevented her from going there on her own.

I explained to Mr. Cullen that Bella, Seth and I had been childhood friends and that we had arrived from Seattle yesterday.

"We are going to be collaborating with the local police and the FBI on this case," I explained.

"Is Bella in any danger?" he asked. He looked so worried that it made me overly worried as well.

"We believe that the killer knows her, and that the murders are somehow related to her. However, given the increased force assigned to the case, we do not believe that she is in any immediate danger," Seth lied.

It was killing us to have to keep Bella in the dark like this. Last night, we had decided that we would be part of the surveillance team. We did not want anything to happen to Bella, and the best way to do that was for us to keep an eye on her, personally.

"We have to go now, but please have Bella call us as soon as she is able to speak with us," I said as we made our way out of her apartment.

I was livid. I had no idea that Bella was being affected to the point that she was being given sedatives. At least Mr. Cullen was a doctor and he seemed to be taking good care of her. It looked like he cared for her deeply. I wondered what the story there was.

"Let the hunting games begin," Seth exhaled.

Indeed.

----

**EPOV**

After picking a cold and tired Bella from the cemetery, I made my way back to her apartment. I called Alice from the car and I asked her to have a hot bath ready for Bella. She looked blue. Her flannel pajamas were too thin for the weather and she was completely drenched.

I cranked up the heater of my car, and I put my coat around her. I needed to get her warm soon. I was worried that she would catch pneumonia or something worse.

She seemed to relax the moment she saw me. Although she was unconscious at the moment, her breathing was less shallow, and her pulse was stronger. It made me mad to think that I could have lost her.

I parked my car and I made my way around it.

"I got her," Emmett said as he removed her.

We quickly took her upstairs and into her apartment.

"Give her to me, Emmett, I want to make sure she's alright," I told him as I grabbed Bella from his grasp. I quickly undressed her, not even taking a second to admire her naked body in my haste to get her in the bath water and get her all warmed up.

"Here, I put a pair of her pajamas in the dryer so that they would be warm for her. I also did the same with her socks, a pair of gloves and winter hat," Alice told me as she handed me the warm items.

"Please, help me get her dressed and into bed," I told Alice.

After dressing her and wrapping her in a couple of warmed sweaters, we placed her in her room. Alice brought some aromatic salts and I placed them under her nose. I needed to wake her up to assess her state better.

She started to stir on her bed and then she abruptly opened her eyes.

"Bella, love, are you ok?" I asked.

"Edward? Oh God, Edward…," she said as she started to cry. I quickly made my way to her bed and I embraced her. Her sobs were coming so fast that I could feel her body jerking.

"Shh Bella, is alright, you're home now," I soothed as I tried to calm her.

We stayed in her bed, embracing one another while Bella cried, and little by little she started to calm down.

"Why did you leave the house without telling anyone?" Emmett asked as he entered her room.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I missed his funeral. I feel so horrible. He died because of me and I couldn't even make it to his funeral," she cried out as her sobs started to increase once again.

"Emmett, now is not the time. Please leave," I growled, questioning Bella right not was not going to help her mental state.

"Edward, why are you here?" she asked as she moved away from my embrace.

"Gage was my friend Bella. I also just moved to DC, I joined my father's practice and I will be residing in the area," I explained.

"I understand, but why are you in my apartment?" she asked.

I could not help the feeling of rejection that filled me. _Did she not want me here? Had she forgotten all about me?_

"I… well, I wanted to make sure that you were ok. I'll leave if that's what you want," I told her, hoping with all my might that she would let me stay.

"I'm fine, thank you, but I think you should leave. I am sure your fiancée is not happy about you being here," she snapped, tears still running down her face.

I realized that I didn't get a chance to explain about Tanya.

"Bella, Tanya and I are no longer together. We have not been together in over two months now," I explained.

"How could you do that to her?" she asked. It was hard to miss the disappointment in her face.

"Bella, honey, are you feeling better?" Rose asked as she entered the room. Damn interruptions. "I made you some soup."

"I am not hungry Rose, but thank you," she replied.

"Bella, you have to eat, you haven't eaten much since…," Rose trailed off.

"Say it Rose! Since I killed him. Say it," she yelled as she started to hyperventilate.

"Where is her prescription?" I asked Rose.

"NO! I don't want any more make me dumb pills… I am not going to take them," Bella screamed.

"Bella, love, this is for your own good, please take the pills," I begged.

"NO! Get out of here Edward. LEAVE BEFORE I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR DEATH TOO!"

"Isabella Marie Swan, you take these damn pills now, or so help me God, I will force feed them to you," Rose yelled as she grabbed her wrists.

"I… no… I…" she tried to say something but Rose interrupted her.

"Pass me the damn pills Edward. Here, take them, now!" she told Bella.

Bella gave us an exasperated look, and with a big sigh she took the pills from Rose and drank them.

"Shhh, Bella, it's alright honey, it's alright," Rose whispered to her while she rubbed her back.

"Edward, please wait outside, I've got it," she said as she dismissed me from Bella's room.

----

Rose stepped out of Bella's room twenty minutes later.

"She's sleeping, please don't disturb her," she told us.

"Alice, why don't you go home to Jasper?" I asked.

"Yes Alice, it's your turn to rest, and I'm sure you miss Jasper," Rose added.

"Alright, I should go then. He was gone all week, and I have not been at home much since this happened," she sighed. "Who will stay with Bella?"

"I will," both me and Rose replied.

"Rose, you and Emmett should rest, Edward can call you guys if she wakes up," Alice stated.

"Alright, but you better let us know as soon as she opens her eyes Edward," Emmett said as Rose dragged him from Bella's apartment.

"See you later Edward. Take good care of her, please," Alice said as she hugged me goodbye.

"I will Alice, go rest," I told her as I waved goodbye.

----

I was just about to get comfortable on Bella's couch when there was a knock on the door.

"We are Detective's Black and Clearwater from Seattle PD, and we are here to see Ms. Swan," a tall russet skin man said. He was taller than me, with long dark hair, his hair pulled back in a low pony tail. The other detective was about my size with spiky short black hair, they looked like relatives.

The detectives explained that they were part of the team that was handling the Post-it killer case. They also told me that they were Bella's childhood friends.

I asked them if there was any danger for Bella and they told me no, but I had a feeling that they were not being completely honest. The tall one, Detective Black, asked me to have Bella call him as soon as she could talk as they left the apartment.

I realized at that moment that I knew nothing about Bella. Perhaps she was right, and I shouldn't be here. I thought about calling Rose to stay with Bella and take my leave, but I couldn't get myself to do so.

The images from Bella at the cemetery haunted my thoughts. She looked so small, so fragile. I had no idea what the depth of her relationship with Gage was, but it was obvious that she felt extremely guilty about what happened.

_What did this killer want with Bella?_

None of us had a chance to speak with her all weekend about who may have done this. It broke my heart to see her hurting so much. I ached to comfort her, to be close to her.

I was also full of doubts. She did not want me here. Perhaps she even hated me because of Tanya.

I decided that I would stay away if that's what she wanted. I would respect her decisions. I did not want to be another reason for her to be upset, worried, and sad. It hurt.

I decided to check on her, I wanted to make sure that she was still sleeping. I quietly made my way to her bedroom and that's when I heard her… "Edward, please look at me, please don't go. I killed him Edward, it was my fault," she mumbled in her sleep.

I didn't know what to do. Part of me wanted to crawl in bed with her, and part of me wanted to run out of this place. I wanted to run not because of her, but because I felt so impotent, I was unable to erase her pain.

I must have stared at her for a good few hours. My body ached from standing still by her door. She stopped talking a short moment after I first heard her, and now she was sleeping peacefully.

I couldn't help admiring her beauty. Her milky skin looked so smooth. Her brown, glossy hair was messy, but in a way that made her look sexy. Her big pouty lips were a beautiful pink-red color, and her button nose was the cutest I had ever seen.

She was so small, several inches smaller than me. Then there was her scent; it was so intoxicating. Her scent was a mix of strawberries and freesias, I think, but in a very subtle way. She smelled good enough to eat.

I wanted so badly to cradle her in my arms and hum sweet nothings in her ear. I wanted to feel the electricity that seemed to emanate from our bodies every time we touched. I wanted to run my fingers through her silky hair, but more than anything I wanted to kiss those sensual, soft lips.

My Angel.

I made my way back to the living room with great effort. It was hard not to stay in her room admiring her, but I was afraid that if she caught me staring she would think I was a stalker. The last thing she needed right now was for me to freak her out as well.

----

"Edward, wake up," I heard a Rose tell me as she shook my shoulder.

"I'm sorry," I yawned. "I must have fallen asleep"

"Bella is still sleeping too. Why don't you go to Alice's place and rest? Emmett and I can keep an eye on her until tomorrow morning," she said.

I sighed. I didn't want to leave Bella's side, but I also felt like I was not welcomed here by her.

"Alright, let me check on her before I go," I told Rose. She nodded.

I needed to see her before I left. I needed to take one more look at her just in case she decided she never wanted to see me again.

I once again entered her bedroom to find her in a peaceful sleep. She looked so exhausted.

I approached her bed and I softly moved the strands of hair from her face. She sighed.

I approached her very slowly and I placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well my little angel," I whispered.

I went back into the living room and I gave Rose some instructions just in case the cold and the rain had made Bella sick. I also told her not to hesitate to call me if Bella had another panic attack.

I left Bella's apartment and I knocked on Emmett's.

"Hey bro, I am leaving," I told him after he opened the door.

"Alright, Rose and I will be staying with Bella, and Alice is planning to come in early tomorrow morning and spend the day with her so that Rose and I can go back to the shop."

"It looks like you got it all covered then," I sighed, realizing that there was no need for me here.

"She is more than a friend Edward, she's like our sister. We'll take good care of her. You should keep your distance until she's ready to see you," he told me as he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me for a hug.

"I understand, don't worry," I told him as I left.

I slowly made my way to the outside of the building feeling defeated. I knew my family was just trying to protect Bella, and I am sure things would have been different if Bella herself had not tried to kick me out.

I was just about to get in the car when I heard her.

"Edward? Edward?" she called. I was about to call her name when she spotted me.

"Edward…"

"I'm sorry, I was so rude," she said, as her eyes welled with tears.

"Is alright, love, you need your space, I understand."

"Please Edward, don't leave…"


	11. Picking Up the Pieces

**AN: I do not own Twilight.**

**I want to thank everyone that has been reading my story, I just made it to over 1,000 hits, my next goal is to reach 100 reviews. I am really excited!!**

**I dedicate this chapter to my loyal reviewers, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Jagga-Love, you rock my world! Thanks for your double hard work on this chapter!!!**

**----**

**BPOV**

I kept having the same dream over and over: Edward staring at me with hateful eyes, and Gage lying in the floor, dead. The dreams were simply the reflection of how guilty I felt about Gage's death, even if I didn't know how or why it happened, and also the fact that I was not worthy of Edward.

I hated sedatives; the made me feel so numb. I felt like I was floating on thin air, and every now and then I would come crashing hard on the ground. Every time I woke from my haze I felt the pain and the remorse increase tenfold.

I opened my eyes and took stalk of my room. I was glad that I was home, being here made me feel really comfortable. The burgundy, gold, and bronze contrasts of my curtains and bed sheets made me feel warm. The rich mahogany of my king bed frame and my furniture made me feel safe.

_Was I really safe?_

I could not come up with a single reason for Gage's death. I was unable to comprehend why someone would do such a monstrosity to get to me. I had no idea who could have done this, or why they wanted me dead.

I knew the threat was for me, but I was confused. I didn't have any enemies. I had never done anything to anyone in my past to grant this sort of hatred.

_Mike!_

Was this his handiwork?

I didn't think so. He might have been an ass, but he wasn't a violent person. Why would he want to kill people?

What connection did I have with everyone that the serial killer had murdered?

Perhaps the serial killer and I had crossed paths at some point and he was infatuated. That had to be it, there was no other reason I could come up with._ This was so unfair._

My throat was on fire. I must have been sleeping for a long time because I was extremely thirsty. I got up from my bed slowly. Although I had what seemed like hours of sleep, I felt as if I hadn't slept in days, I felt weak.

I opened my bedroom door and I slowly made my way to the kitchen. The house was so quiet. I started to get a little panicky thinking that my friends had left me alone, but I understood. They all had their own lives. I was almost glad they were not here, if the killer was after me, then I wanted to be the only one he had access to, I did not want anyone else to die because of me.

_Was I ready to suffer the same fate that Gage suffered?_

I passed by the living room and I was about to enter the kitchen when I heard a sigh. Someone was here. Slowly, I made my way to the couch and took a peek from the back.

Edward!

When I had woken up I was not sure if he was truly here or if it was a figment of my imagination. He was the angel that saved me from the rain this morning. I started to feel extremely guilty about my behavior earlier today. I was frazzled by everything that had happened and I was terrified of Edward being the next victim.

I decided to wake him up and kick him out but as I glanced at his face, I felt my resolve weaken. He was gorgeous. The most handsome man I had ever seen.

His bronze hair was always in perfect disarray, his pale skin making great contrast against it. I loved his chiseled jaw, and that little scar right at the bottom of the right side of his face. I had this intense urge to lick it. His lips were full, yet manly, and fit perfectly with the rest of his features.

I wanted to run my fingers through his subtle stubble. I wanted to kiss those lips. I wanted to hold him against me and smell his intoxicating scent…

I stared at him for what seemed like an eternity, and slowly I retreated to the kitchen. I could no longer ignore the burn in my throat. Very quietly, I poured myself a glass of water and I decided to return to my bedroom.

He looked so peaceful in his sleep and I didn't want to interrupt him.

I wanted to read a book, but as soon as I laid down on the bed, I fell asleep.

----

"Bella, honey, please wake up," I heard Rose call as she patted my head.

"Hey," was all I managed to say.

"Hey sweetie, you have been sleeping pretty much all day. I think it would be a good idea if you had at least a little bit of soup to eat. It will make you feel better."

"Thanks Rose, let me freshen up and I will join you in a minute. Is Edward still sleeping?" I asked her.

"No, he just left," she replied.

"What? No, he can't leave, I … I have to apologize, I have to tell him…" I told her as I bolted out of my bedroom and out of my apartment.

I decided to take the stairs. I had no patience for the elevator. I ran down the steps as fast as I could, nearly falling several times. As soon as I made it to the main level I ran for the door. I really hoped that I was not too late.

I made it outside and I started to call him frantically, "Edward? Edward?"

I looked from side to side trying to find him. I was about to lose hope when I spotted him next to a fancy black car. He looked so surprised to see me there.

I started to approach him. "Edward…" I sighed.

"I'm sorry, I was so rude," I said as my eyes welled with tears.

"Is alright love, you need your space, I understand," he said, a sad look on his face.

"Please Edward, don't leave. I know that is selfish for me to ask you to risk your life for me, but… but I need you," I begged.

"Bella," he sighed. "You are not being selfish. I will be here with you as long as you will have me. Come here," he called as he extended his arms to me.

I moved closer to him and he embraced me, our bodies humming at the contact. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and slowly started to move them upwards, giving me soothing little rubs as he made his way up my back, then my shoulders, and finally my neck.

He moved his head towards my shoulders and rubbed his nose on the side of my neck, taking in my scent. I felt so safe. There was no were else in the world I wanted to be at that moment. His hands made their way to my face and slowly he stroked my cheeks, leaving a trail of fire everywhere he touched.

"I am really sorry about Gage," he told me as he stared at my eyes. I could not help blushing. He was so close to me, I could smell his heavenly breath.

"I feel so guilty, and at the same time so clueless," I whispered.

He pulled me from his embrace and once again cradled me in his arms. "Let's get you inside love, it's very cold out here and I don't want you to get sick," he said as we made our way inside my apartment building.

----

I was seating across from Edward at the dining table. Rose had served both of us soup, and we were consuming it quietly. I kept glancing at him, perhaps trying to convince myself that I was not dreaming. He also kept glancing at me, a crooked smile on his lips. _He was so breathtaking._

"Detectives Black and Clearwater came earlier to see you, but you were sleeping. The wanted you to call them as soon as you felt like talking," Edward said, breaking my reverie.

"Jake and Seth?" I asked. "What the hell are they doing here?"

Edward explained that they were part of the team working on finding the Post-it Killer. The killer had murdered someone in Seattle, and they believed that it was there that his killing spree started.

I quickly finished the rest of the soup and I took the plate to the kitchen sink. I went back into my bedroom and removed my cell phone from the charger.

I moved back into the living room as I waited for Jake to answer.

"Bella?" he asked.

"Hi Jake!"

"Are you alright?" he asked with worry.

"I am as good as I can be I guess."

"Seth and I will be over in five minutes," he said before hanging up the phone.

I wondered where he was staying. He seemed to be in the same area as my apartment.

----

Jacob and Seth were in my apartment in less than four minutes. I still could not believe that they were here. I had heard about Leah's murder but I had not realized it had been the same killer.

Leah and I were never what you would call friends. She disliked me since we were little, mostly because her parents trusted me more than her on babysitting Seth. She thought that they preferred me over her.

I wondered if the killer was just targeting Seattle people for some reason and I trembled at the thought.

Jake and Seth spoke to all of us in my apartment. Alice had arrived with Japer right after our phone call and Edward was already there along with Emmett and Rose.

They explained that there was no evidence in any of the crimes that would lead them to anyone as a suspect. Then they asked me questions about my relation to all of the victims and if I had any ideas of whom the killer may be.

I explained unnecessarily that Leah and I had never been close, and I also explained how Jessica and I had grown apart after my wedding in Acapulco.

"Wait a second Bella, when exactly was the wedding?" Jacob asked.

"It was in May, the same day that you guys said that housekeeper was murdered. We were staying at that same hotel," I explained.

"Where was Mike? Did he arrive the day of the wedding? Was he there before that?" Seth asked.

"Mike and I arrived in Acapulco three days before the wedding and we were pretty much inseparable, even having joint bachelor and bachelorette's parties," I told them. I could not help looking towards Edward as I spoke and I noticed him cringe every time I mentioned Mike's name.

"What about after the fiasco at the wedding?" Seth asked.

"We went our separate ways. I am not sure if Mike stayed in the hotel or not since I left right after the wedding with Angela and Ben," I explained.

"Alright, it looks like we need to bring Mike in for questioning. We are not saying that he is a suspect, but like you Bella, his name seems to pop up every time we talk about all the victims except for Leah and Gage I guess," Jacob stated.

"Jacob, please be honest. Am I in any danger?" I asked as I glanced between him and Seth.

"Bella, listen, we don't think you are in immediate danger, however I think is a good idea for you to always have someone with you, especially when you leave your home. I have written down my numbers for you, if you need anything, anything at all, please do not hesitate to contact me," Jake told me with a solemn look on his face.

I could not help but think that they were hiding something from me. _Was it about Mike? Was I in more danger than they were willing to tell me?_

After Jake and Seth left I called all of my friends into the living room. I needed to thank them for being there for me all these days, but I also wanted to stress that I did not want to put them in any danger, that perhaps it was best if they stayed away from me.

I tried to explain all of my reasons but they would not have any of it. They were all furious at me for even suggesting that they stay away.

"Listen Bella, no one is going to stop us from being here for you, and we are definitely not scared of some creep," Emmett stated.

"We are not going anywhere, so stop arguing with us and let's come up with a plan so that we don't leave you on your own at any time," Alice continued.

"I have already asked Aro and as the head of the In Style section, he made the decision that it would be best for you to take an indefinite amount of personal time off, at least until things settle down or they arrest the creep," Alice stated.

"What we need to figure out is who will stay with you while we are all at work. I was thinking that perhaps I should take the time off as well and postpone my trip to Greece with Jasper for our honeymoon," she continued.

"No Alice, I will not allow you to do such a thing, I am a big girl…" I was saying before Edward interrupted me.

"Alice, I agree with Bella," he said before an exasperated Alice interrupted him.

"She is not staying by herself…" she said before Edward interrupted one more time.

"She is not, I will be staying with her, if she will have me," he said as he looked at me with what looked like a hopeful expression.

"I can take the time off, dad is still setting things up at the clinic and I am sure he won't mind," he continued.

"Then it's settled," Alice exclaimed.

"But, I didn't…" I said before being interrupted by Alice, once again.

"Bella, please don't be a pain in the ass about this, not right now. Edward can move into your spare bedroom and that way we will all feel a lot better about going to work while that creep is out walking on the streets," she told me with a look of finality.

"Alright I guess, but you and I need to have a conversation," I stated while I looked in Edward's direction.

"Indeed we do, but we will have it when you are up for it," he qualified.

"Well, it looks like we can go home and bang," Emmett exclaimed, earning a slap on the back of his head from Rose.

"What? You know you want to," he said with a silly grin on his face.

"Let's go horny man, we don't want to traumatize our friends," Rose said with a mischievous look on her face.

"Oh and Edward, I don't give a shit if you are my brother or not, you disrespect Bella, and I will have to give you a can of whoop-ass." Emmett announced as they exited the apartment.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Edward answered.

"On that note, I think it's time for us to leave, as well," Alice told Jasper.

"Bella, you know what to do if anything happens or if you need anything. Please take good care of her Edward," Jasper reminded as he took Alice hand and guided her out of my apartment.

I stared at the door after they all left. I knew that a conversation with Eduard was inevitable if we were going to be living under the same roof. I needed to explain what my relationship with Evan had been, and I needed to find out why he left Tanya. He did not seem like the kind of guy that would abandon someone at such a critical moment.

_How could he pretend to be here for me when he ran from his responsibilities with Tanya?_

"Bella, do you feel up to talking right now? Edward asked, as if reading my thoughts.

"I do want to talk, we definitely need to. However, I would like to freshen up first if you don't mind, I feel like a total slob," I replied while I felt my cheeks start to blush.

"Go ahead, I'll be here when you are done," he said.

"Thanks, I'll be right back," I told him as I made my way to my bedroom.

----

**MPOV**

"What are you still doing in DC? Huh?" I asked my partner.

"I wa… wa… was waiting for the next instructions bo… bo… boss," he stuttered.

"You fucking idiot, we need to lay low now. Get the fuck out of my hotel room, you were never supposed to meet me here," I screamed. "Our meetings were to take place at the Zoo, not here in my hotel you dumb ass."

"But whe… whe… where are we go…go… going now bo…boss?"

"I think is time I return to California while you go back to Seattle. I need to keep up the pretenses while the pansy cops scratch their heads full of non-existent brains in an attempt to catch us. I will let you know when the time comes to play out our revenge. Now leave before I decide to use my next Post-it on you," I yelled.

I had lost my control and I had murdered the wrong person. I was more than happy that the asshole was now dead, and obviously out of Bella's life, but I had acted on impulse and I had put myself in danger.

I just could not stand seeing her with another man any longer. For two months I had followed them as they frolicked around town. With each date they had, my rage would increase and before I knew it I was stabbing him to death.

No one could know it was me who was after Bella, at least not while she was still alive.

The bitch was going to pay… I had plans for her.

----

**EPOV**

I sighed as I saw Bella make her way to her room, she was so beautiful. I often found myself speechless in her presence.

I was glad that she had allowed me to stay with her, and I hoped that she would not regret it. I felt so protective of her, I wanted to take care of her, but more than anything I wanted to be close to her, to feel her soft skin, and kiss her soft lips. I wanted to embrace her and never let her go.

_Was I in love? __Was that even possible after just meeting her twice?_**Yes**_._

I went to the spare bedroom and I took my clothes out of my bags. It was weird how Alice always seemed to know how things would work out before hand. She had brought my things with her just in case.

I decided to change from my jeans and button up shirt and put on some shorts and a t-shirt. I was trying to kill time while Bella took a shower. I was a little nervous about our conversation. I did not know what to expect. _What if she had loved Gage?_

Once I changed and finished unpacking my stuff I went back into the living room. I was hoping to find her there already, but as I approached the couch I could hear the shower was still running.

I waited for her to finish but the shower was still running after a while and I started to get worried. I decided to go check up on her, just in case.

I knocked on the door outside of her room and when I heard nothing, I decided to just walk in. She had taken her clothes off and placed them on her bed.

I walked towards her bathroom, I was planning to just knock on the door and ask if she was alright. I knocked once, twice, and no answer. I continued to knock on her door while I called her name.

"Bella, is everything alright?" I asked.

No answer.

I started to panic. _What if something happened to her?_

"Bella, I'm coming in," I said as I opened the bathroom door, thankful that she had not locked it.

I entered the bathroom slowly; I did not want to startle her. Perhaps she was listening to her iPod and she couldn't hear me. Her bathroom was big. She had double sinks in one side, a separate toilet room, a walking closet to the left, and in between there was a huge shower and a Jacuzzi top right in front of a large frosted window.

I was hit by the intoxicating scent of strawberries. It was delicious. I started to think about her soft hair, her soft skin… when I heard a sob.

"Bella?" I asked tentatively.

"Are you alright?" I asked. The only answer I got was more sobs.

I walked towards the shower and I gasped. Bella was on the floor. She was sitting in a corner of the shower, her arms wrapped around her legs.

I decided to go into the shower; I needed to make sure she was alright. I opened the glass door and I crouched right in front of Bella.

"Bella, are you alright?" I asked her softly.

"My fault… this is all my fault," she sobbed.

"No Bella, it's not your fault. Please, you have to understand that," I said as I sat right next to her.

I took one of her hands in mine and I moved it towards my lips, giving her a soft kiss.

"It's alright love, I am here with you. I will protect you," I told her.

She looked at me and I felt my heart shatter. I had never seen anyone so sad. I wanted to comfort her, but I was at a loss for words.

I was still holding her arm as she put her legs down and gripped my shirt. I was drenched from the shower but I didn't care.

I wrapped my arms around Bella and she started to sob louder, gut wrenching sounds escaping her every now and then.

I brought her head close to my chest and slowly I moved the strands of hair from her face. I cupped her face in my hands and I started to give her butterfly kisses starting from her forehead and moving all the way to her neck.

I realized what I had done and I moved back, expecting Bella to be upset with me.

"Please don't stop," she whispered.

I groaned as I brushed my lips against her. She opened her mouth slowly and I sucked on her bottom lip, a new surge of urgency filling me. She took her tongue out and I met her half way, wrestling my way back into her mouth.

I stood up, pulling her with me. I wanted to take a good look at her. I wanted to feel all of her, to kiss every inch of her body. I wanted to claim her as mine.

I got out of my shorts, then my boxers, and Bella pulled up my shirt, helping me take it off. She stood back and her eyes roamed all over my body as she gasped.

She moved her hands up my torso, leaving goosebumps on her way, and grabbed my hair with unexpected force, pushing me closer to her. I kissed her lips softly once more and then moved to leave kisses down her neck, and on top of her shoulders.

She looked into my eyes and for a moment I thought that she would push me back.

"Bella…" I sighed, trying to apologize. She placed a finger in front of my mouth and then started to place kisses on the hollow of my neck, making a path all the way down my chest.

I removed my hands from her waist and stated to make my way up her torso towards her breasts. She had the most beautiful breasts I had ever seen. Not too big, not too small, pink-red hard nipples. I placed my arms on her shoulder and I looked at her once more.

She no longer looked sad. Her sad look had been replaced with lust and something else.

"God Bella, you are so beautiful," I sighed as I went back to kissing her neck, then her mouth.

"Edward…" she moaned.

I moved my hands down her back to her ass, and I grabbed her cheeks as I picked her up. Bella wrapped her legs around my waist, my erection pressing against her stomach. I turned around so that I could turn off the shower and I made my way out of it, still holding on to Bella, while she kept kissing my neck, her hands gripping my hair.

I placed her on the bathroom counter and I moved to grab some towels as I heard her whimper. My body was missing her warmth. I was aching to be pressed against hers.

I quickly made my way to the other side of the bathroom and I grabbed two towels. I turned around to face Bella.

She was just sitting there, sleek from the shower, her beautiful dark-brown hair pressed against her skin. Her lips were slightly swollen from kissing and her cheeks were tainted with a beautiful pink tone. I was taken aback by the desire to take her right then and there.

I quickly closed the gap between our bodies, discarding the towels in the process. I pressed myself against her and she once again wrapped her legs around my waist as I pressed my lips against molded my lips with hers.

I moved from her mouth, down her neck, and made my way towards her chest, placing kisses all over her mounds. I traced my tongue around her left nipple before I took her soft flesh in my mouth as I kneaded the other one. Once I was satisfied with that one I repeated the process on the next, all the while Bella moaned my name.

She took my face in her hands and moved me so that I could face her. The look of desire in her face was almost as intense as what I was feeling for her at the moment.

She ran her hands down my chest, tracing patterns around my abdomen. She then took me in her hands, softly caressing the tip of my member. I moaned her name as a shiver went down my spine, making my knees weak.

"Bella," I sighed. "I want you so bad.

I pulled her hands from me and I placed them on her back as I rubbed my chest against hers. I let go of her hands and I moved my hands slowly down her torso, finally resting them on her tights.

Slowly, I traced patters up her tights until I was met with her warm center. I could smell her arousal and in turn it made me get harder, my erection turning almost painful. I nibbled on her bottom lip as I moved my fingers towards her center, caressing her inside her sleek folds.

I rubbed my finger against her nub and slowly I moved it downwards until I plunged my finger into her. _She was so tight!_ She moaned my name over and over as I pumped my finger into her, slowly adding two more fingers, trying to stretch her out so that she could accommodate me.

I took my fingers from her warm center and I moved them to my mouth, licking them. She tasted delicious. I wanted to taste all of her, but my pressing erection had other plans.

I placed my hands on her back and softly, I pulled her forward so that she was barely sitting on the cold marble counter.

I moved into position, placing my tip at her entrance. I looked at her wanting to make sure she wanted me to proceed and she froze.

"Uh, Edward…," she whispered, it sounded almost like a moan.

"Yes love."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked.

"I am. Are you?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

She lowered her eyes and shook her head.

"Not yet."


	12. The Talk

**AN: I still don't own anything.**

**Jagga-Love, thanks so much for all your hard work! You are Fantastica!!**

**---- **

**BPOV**

As soon as I said the words, a sense of regret filled me. I realized that I had some explaining to do. I didn't want Edward to feel rejected.

"I don't want my first time to be like this. I don't want it to be a careless reaction to the events of the last couple of days," I said, with my head bowed, shy.

He stood there for a moment in silence. I figured he was probably processing what I just told him.

"So you have never?" he asked.

"No," I replied as I blushed. "I am sorry," I added. I felt so bad for making him feel rejected. I never, ever wanted to hurt Edward in any way.

"Bella, please look at me. I had no idea. I am the one who should apologize. I know that you are in a fragile state and I should have not taken advantage of the situation. Please forgive me," he begged.

"No, really Edward, this is not your fault, I wanted this as much as you did. Please don't blame yourself," I replied.

"I just feel like we need to talk about everything. I need to know why you left Tanya, and I have to explain my relationship with Gage," I continued.

"You're right, we need to talk. I'll give you a moment to get dressed and I'll meet you in the living room. Would that be ok?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you."

I stared at his retreating form as he left my bathroom. I truly regretted not going all the way with him, it felt so right, so perfect. It was as if we had been created out of the same mold, we fit together perfectly.

I slowly lowered myself from the marble counter and I walked out of the bathroom on shaky legs. I was still battling the desire to run after him and jump him. I wanted so badly to feel his soft skin against mine. I wanted to be a hundred percent his. I loved this man. _Wait, what? So soon? _

**Yes.**

I hastily threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. It felt nice to be dressed in something other than pajamas. I quickly ran a brush through my hair and after fighting for the mess to calm down, I decided to put it up on a pony tail.

I was suddenly afraid. I had no idea if he was still in love with Tanya and if he was here as a favor to Alice. I was also worried about him blaming me for Gage's death. I knew that I was the one to blame, but I did not think I could handle it coming from Edward.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't realize that Edward was standing outside my door until I bumped into him. I felt myself falling backwards when warm, strong hands suddenly grabbed me by my waist.

"You're clumsy." he smirked.

"I have actually improved a lot since high school, but yes, you could say that," I told him as my cheeks got hot, and most likely red.

"It's cute," he explained, a loped sided grin on his face.

I sighed as I made my way to my couch and I made a motion for him to sit down, as well. He sat on the loveseat right across the couch where I was at.

"So, where do you want to start?" I asked.

"I guess we should start with Acapulco. I wanted to apologize to you for my behavior that day," he explained.

I could not help becoming really upset. So he regretted what happened in Acapulco. I suddenly did not want to hear more. I needed him to leave me alone pronto, or I would go into pieces in front of him.

"I'm sorry for throwing myself at you that day. I shouldn't have bothered you," I managed to say. Not entirely able to hide my disappointment.

"Is that what you think? That you bothered me? You are so absurd Bella," he said.

"You don't regret it?" I asked in a whisper.

"The only thing I regret from that day, the one thing that I need to apologize for, is letting you go. I should have stopped your mother from dragging you away from me. I should have at least asked for your number. I felt so impotent and I can't forgive myself because right then, all I really wanted was to protect you," he explained.

"You have nothing to apologize for Edward. It was a terrible situation and although I regretted not being strong enough to stay with you, I know that there was no other way around it. I was married. I needed to fix my life. I wasn't worthy of you," I told him as tears started to stream down my face.

"I never stopped thinking about you Bella, not for a single second. I couldn't help myself from hoping that I would find you again."

"I never stopped thinking about you either, but after a year, I felt ridiculous. What if you didn't feel the connection I felt? What if you had a life with someone else and I was intruding? I guess I was not too far from the truth, you did have someone," I sighed.

"After a year, I started to have the same concerns, I started to think that perhaps you had been a figment of my imagination," he conceded.

"Why did you leave Tanya?" I blurted.

"I met Tanya shortly after my Acapulco vacation. She was friends with Angela and sometimes we would hang out together after work. For a whole year she threw herself at me. She wanted nothing more than for me to take her on a date. Looking back now, I feel stupid for not realizing that she was merely obsessed with me, but I was feeling so desperate to fill the void inside my heart, a void that was created the day I met you and then lost you," he explained.

"But why did you leave her? Alice told me that she was dying. How could you have been so cruel to her?" I asked. I was trying hard not to be judgmental, but I could not help but see that he was trying to make up excuses for the inexcusable.

"She lied. It was all a lie," he told me, a look of exasperation on his face. I could sense that he felt my animosity towards him at the moment.

"What? What do you mean she lied?" I asked.

"Please let me explain everything that happened. I don't want to keep any single detail from you Bella," he begged.

"Alright, please explain," I said.

"After taking Tanya on a couple of dates I realized that I would never have feelings for her. She is a beautiful woman, and I thought she was a nice person, but I could not see myself in a meaningful relationship with her. After meeting you and experiencing what we both experienced I couldn't settle for anything less," he explained.

"I was ready to tell her that. I wanted to be honest with her and I didn't want to hurt her feelings. I went into my apartment one evening after a long shift to find her in there. She had taken the liberty to make copies of my apartment keys and it looked as she intended to make things a lot more serious than what they were," he continued.

"I was furious. I could tell that she was obsessed and I felt extremely disrespected. I tried to break it off and that's when she told me that she was dying."

"So that's when you decided to propose?" I asked, feeling upset about all Tanya had done to him, but also feeling as confused as ever.

"No, I never proposed to her. She made that up as well. I decided not to leave her, but even then I knew that I could be nothing more than a friend to her. I really wanted to be there for her, and from that moment on, I supported her."

"After a while, I realized that I needed to be clear with her and let her know that I was never going to marry her. I wanted her to know that I would be there for her no matter what, but as her friend, but before I told her any of this, I wanted to make sure that she was mentally stable enough to comprehend the situation," he continued.

"At the gala, Angela became suspicious of Tanya's behavior and I expressed to her my own concerns. She decided to do some investigating of her own and it was then, we found out that she had been blackmailing one of the doctors into providing false evidence of her supposed disease. She was never dying. She lied the whole time."

"Why didn't anyone tell me any of this?" I asked. I was very angry. Angela had known about Tanya's lies and she had never bothered to explain. She knew that Edward was the Acapulco man. She knew I was hurting for him. Why would she hide something like that?

"That's my fault. I wanted to be the one to tell you the truth," he answered, seeming to read my confused and angry state.

"But don't you see? If I had known the truth I would have never continued to date Gage, and now he is dead. If I had known the truth, perhaps he could have been spared," I screamed.

"I am sorry Bella. I had no idea you had fallen in love with someone else. I knew you were trying to date, but if I had known that you were falling for somebody, I would have come sooner and explained to you that I loved you," he stated.

"You love me," I stated, making it sound more like a question.

"Yes Bella, I love you with all my heart. I did not want to tell you like this, but I couldn't contain myself. It hurts me to see you in so much pain. I know that I am not worthy of your love, and I am sorry for Gage's death. I wish I would have been brave enough to tell you the truth sooner, but I was scared. I was afraid that you didn't feel the same way as I did, and I had no idea what I was going to do with myself if you crushed my hopes."

"I didn't love him, Gage was just my friend. I tried to fall in love with him, and I am sure he tried to fall in love with me, but it never worked. That night, the night that he died, we were going to talk about our relationship, or lack rather. I knew he felt the same way, and I was looking forward to having him as a friend, but he never showed up," I sobbed.

Edward stood up from his seat and quickly sat by my side. He gently grabbed me by the shoulders and hugged me tightly.

"I'm so sorry Bella. Please don't cry. His death was not your fault, please don't blame yourself," he told me, trying to soothe my sobs.

I let him hold me long after my cries had quieted down. He loved me. _How could I deserve such a man after what had happened to Gage?_

He separated from our embrace and looked me right in the eye.

"Bella, love, I want to know what you're thinking right now. I need to know how you feel about me," he begged.

"I'm thinking that I don't deserve you. I am thinking that I should make you go before I also put your life in jeopardy. I am thinking how I would like to slap that Tanya bitch for all of the bad things she did to you. But above all, I am thinking about the fact that I don't think I could go on with a single second of my life without telling you how much I love you. I can't even entertain the thought of you not being part of my life. I am thinking about how I am afraid of waking up from a dream and never being able to feel the way you make me feel when you look into my eyes like that," I told him, my sight never braking contact from his.

"Edward, I…" I continued, but was interrupted by Edward's lips. He pressed his lips into mine with a newfound sense of urgency.

"I love you baby, and I am never going to let anything happen to you," he whispered against my lips.

I took his bottom lip into my mouth and I started to suck on it, taking the time to savor his wonderful taste. I felt his tongue run across my upper lip and I let go of his lip to grant him access to my mouth.

I moved my hands to his hair and I started tugging the silky, smooth strands. He pulled away from my mouth and started to give me kisses just below my jaw line and all the way up to my ear. I felt his cool breath on the sensitive spot near my ear and I shivered.

I pulled my hands off his hair and I made my way down his neck and towards the front of his shirt. I was starting to undo the buttons of his shirt when he stopped me.

"Bella, I don't want to pressure into anything love. We can take it slow if you want," he told me.

"Edward, this is not the time to be a perfect gentleman. I want you bad. Please don't stop," I begged.

I felt him growl as he hugged me tightly and grabbed me by my thighs, as he pushed us off the couch, my legs wrapping against his waist. Carefully, he took us into my bedroom and placed me on the bed.

I whimpered at the loss of contact but I was soon joined by Edward. He laid me back and crawled slowly over my body until his mouth met mine.

"I want to pleasure you, Bella. I want this to be really special for you," he whispered against my ear, sending a new wave of shivers up and down my body.

Before I had time to respond he was lifting my t-shirt, his hands caressing every inch of my body that he left exposed as he pulled it off my head. He wrapped his hands around my back and expertly unclasped my bra and gently took it off me, leaving me half naked.

"You are so beautiful," he purred.

He dropped to my side and laid there, right next to me, his head supported by his left hand while the fingers of his right drew patterns all over my navel and up towards my chest.

I turned around so that I was face to face with him and he placed his arm on the small of my back while he drew me impossibly close to him.

I worked my way through the rest of the buttons on his shirt and I helped him take it off. He was so breathtakingly handsome.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, an intense look on his face.

"Yes," I whispered, without hesitation.

Slowly, he pushed my shoulder back so that I was once again laying on my back. He sat and then rolled himself over me, his legs straddling my waist. I was surprised at the fact that I couldn't feel his weight, he was being extremely careful with me.

He rubbed his nose around my belly button and then started to place open mouth kisses all over my stomach until he reached my breasts. Softly, he licked one of my nipples, only stopping to lick the next while he massaged my mounds.

I could feel the juices spilling out of my over heated core. I had never experienced feelings, needs, and wants like these. It was as if my entire body called to his and vice versa.

I moaned as he removed his lips from my nipple and started to kiss my body once again, this time moving towards my heated core. Carefully, he undid the button and the zipper of my jeans and I raised my hips so that he could pull them off me easily.

"You are too sexy for your own good, Bella," he moaned as he caught sight of my black lace panties.

He hooked his fingers on the elastic of my underwear and looked at me as if to ask permission. Once again I buckled my hips, allowing him to pull my panties off without too much struggle.

At that moment, I felt so exposed. I had never been this naked in front of anyone. What if he thought I was unattractive?

"So beautiful," he sighed as if reading my thoughts.

"Bella, I want to taste you love," he told me as he stared into my eyes, dazzling me.

"Yes," I murmured, but it sounded more like a moan.

He moved so that he was sitting straight while still straddling my waist and before I knew it he was once again beside me.

He moved towards my feet and lifted one of my legs so that he could be right in front of my center. He rubbed my legs softly and then moved his face towards the left, leaving a trail of kisses from my ankle to my thigh; he then repeated the same process with my other leg.

I moved my hands towards his head and I started to caress his soft tresses.

He looked at me and smiled before softly rubbing my wet folds and finally placing one of his fingers inside me. He then started to pump it in an out of me, allowing a stifle of moans to escape me.

I gasped as I felt his tongue on my knob, his finger still pumping in and out of me.

"Edward," I moaned as he removed his finger before quickly replacing it with his tongue. He placed his thumb on my clit and started to rub it in synchronization with the licks he was placing everywhere else.

I felt the muscles of my stomach tense as my body neared its release. I moaned Edward's name over and over, like a chant, my hips bucking wildly underneath him. Edward seemed to sense that I was close and he picked up the pace, causing me to scream as my body released the tight coil that had built up within me.

"God Bella, you taste delicious," Edward exclaimed as he moved up my body, his face next to mine.

"I want you so bad Edward, please," I begged as I tried to push myself up.

Edward pulled himself from me and moved me so that we were both kneeling in front of the other. I traced my fingers down his chiseled chest, making my way towards his pants. As if sensing what I wanted to do, Edward pulled back and got off the bed to remove his pants, and then his boxers.

I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my throat as I took in the sight. His body was impossibly sculptured, a deep "V" meeting his groin, his large member evidencing his arousal.

I blushed as I realized that he had caught me gawking at him. Once again, I was starting to feel embarrassed, my own nakedness making me feel awkward, but before I could duel on my conflicting emotions Edward was back on the bed, kneeling in front of me once again.

"Bella, love, are you sure you are ready for this. We could just…"

"Yes Edward, I have never been more ready in my life," I told him, trying hard to convey my determination. I was ready, and I wanted to be his in every sense of the word.

Edward embraced me, causing me to shiver against his warm body. Slowly he moved me so that I was once again lying on my back as he hovered over my body.

He placed soft kisses over my chest, my neck, my jaw, and my forehead, finally meeting my lips. We savored each other's tongues for a while, our desire increasing to the point that it was almost painful.

"I love you Bella, my angel," Edward whispered in my ear before placing himself in front of my entrance.

"I love you too Edward, _my_ Edward," I responded, giving him permission to continue.

He placed his tip inside me and gave me one more look before pushing forward, ever so slowly, as if I would break underneath him. I could feel my walls expanding, trying to accommodate him when he stopped.

"Edward please, I'm ready," I reassured him.

He kissed me once again before slowly pushing himself past my barrier. I gasped in pain as he filled me. We stayed there for a moment, neither one of us daring to move, as the pain subsided.

Once I felt like I was ready I bucked my hips forward, urging him to continue to trust into me. His movements were very slow at first and then increased as I started to urge him to move faster.

I moaned his name continuously, and I smiled every time I heard him moan mine. We fit perfectly together, two puzzle pieces finally completing the picture. I never imagined that making love to someone could be so delicate, so beautiful, yet so passionate.

He was mine, my Edward, and at that moment nothing else in the world mattered. I wanted to stay together like this for the rest of my days. I never wanted him to stop making love to me.

I felt the familiar coil starting to tighten in my stomach. I was so close to my release I could feel it coming. I tried hard to keep it at bay, not wanting this moment to end, but I realized that Edward was grunting, struggling to keep from going over the edge before I did.

I let the magnificent sense of my orgasm take over as my walls tightened around his member, causing him to go reach his climax, with me.

"Wow," I told Edward while I panted, "I have no words to describe how I feel." We were still connected to each other, neither one of us wanting to separate.

"I feel like I just arrived home, you are my home, Isabella," he whispered in my ear, his pants more ragged than mine.

We stayed in the same position for a while, basking in the hum that our bodies produced every time we neared each other.

Edward rolled us over so that I was now cuddled beside him. We stared into each other's eyes for an infinite time, both of us memorizing each aspect of the other. I sighed in my contentment and I felt so safe, nothing could ever touch us, no one could ever break us, we were meant to be with each other.

"Sleep my Bella," he whispered in my ear. "I love you, baby."

I closed my eyes and before I knew it, had succumbed in sleep, the most restful sleep I ever had in my life.

----

**?POV**

I could hear something beeping next to me. I tried my hardest to fight against the darkness that engulfed me, but tried with all my might, I was unable to make sense of where I was.

I had been having nightmares, or rather a nightmare that repeated itself over and over. I was being chased by a shadow, but no matter how hard I tried to run away from it, it would always catch me, sending my body wave after wave of pain.

I was terrified. Everything around me was dark and I was gagged. I couldn't run, there was something keeping me down, forcing me to stay still. Whispering for me to be a good boy and stay quiet. I wanted to wake up so desperately, I wanted to get a grasp on reality and escape this horrible nightmare.

Slowly, I managed to force my eye lids open. Everything was so fuzzy. I couldn't make sense of where I was, or what I was doing here. The annoying noise was intensifying, sending a wave of pain all through my body.

I tried to speak out, but I was still gagged. _Was this part of my nightmare?_ I started to thrash against the bed, trying to release myself from my confines, when I felt a pair of soothing hands holding me back.

"Shh, it's ok," the angel with the beautiful blonde hair whispered.

I wanted to respond. I wanted to ask where I was, but suddenly there was a lot of activity surrounding me and before I knew it, a thick fog was clouding my vision, taking me back to the place I never wanted to go back to, the darkness.

"Help me," I cried over and over in my head. "Don't let the shadow take me, please… help…"

----

**EPOV**

I awoke the next day to butterfly kisses and the events of the night before came crashing on me. I felt my lips pull in a smile as I took sight of Bella. She was sitting next to me, starting intently into my eyes.

Her hair was a sexy mess that screamed sex, and the best part was that she was now wearing the button down shirt I had been wearing the night before.

"Good morning, love," I exhaled as I caressed the side of her face.

"Good morning, sleepy head," she replied, a teasing smile on her lips.

"How long have you been up? Why didn't you wake me?" I asked.

"I've been up for a while, observing you. You look handsome even in your sleep," she said as she winked at me.

"Come here you little sexy devil," I groaned as I started to tickle her sides.

"Stop Edward… please," she begged as I brought tears to her eyes from laughing so hard.

I let out a roar as I tackled her into the bed and starting kissing her sweet little mouth once again. I loved the feel of her soft pouty lips on my skin.

"Ready for round two?" I asked.

"Yes sir," she responded as she crashed her lips against mine.

Round two became round three and then four and we could have kept going except that we were betrayed by our growling stomachs.

"Do you think it's safe to go out of the apartment?" she asked

"Yes, but let's tell Rose and Emmett so that they know where we are," I suggested.

----

An hour later, we were both seated inside Austin Grill eating the best chips and salsa I had ever tasted. It was nice to see Bella so relaxed, and we spent the time in easy conversation getting to know more about each other.

After stuffing ourselves with chicken fajitas and carnitas tacos, we decided to head back to her apartment. It was best if we stayed inside as much as possible for now. The detectives had assured us that the killer was most likely hiding, and that, for all they knew, he might be looking for his next victim in some other city.

I wanted to believe that it was safe, but I had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that told me that the nightmare wasn't over.

We were almost at the entrance of her apartment building, when it started to snow. Pretty soon everything would be covered in a blanket of white. It was not usual for snow to fall so early in the season, after all Thanksgiving was still a week away, but everyone was expecting for this winter to be brutal.

I smiled at myself as I thought about all the things I could do with Bella by the chimney, while a warm and toasty fire burned.

"What are you thinking about mister? I can see that devious smile on your face," Bella told me, braking me out of my reverie.

"I was thinking about starting a fire and spending the night staring at your beautiful body while the flames flickered different shades of color all over your beautiful ivory skin," I told her without skipping a bit.

"That does sound enticing," she said with a sly smile on her lips.

We continued our banter as we took the elevator to her apartment. We were almost at her front door when Emmett's booming voice startled us both.

"So did you guys do it yet?" he asked.

I tensed not knowing what to say when I noticed that Bella had turned an impossible shade of red.

"Ha! I knew it! Rose, they did it, they finally got over their stubbornness and are now together," he screamed to the inside of his apartment.

"You guys are together right?" he asked nervously, a little deflated by our lack of response.

"Emmett Cullen, you stop harassing poor Bella and your brother right this second," Rose screamed as she slapped the back of his head.

"Ouch Rose, I was just wondering, that's all," he said sheepishly.

"They'll tell us whatever it is they want to tell us, in their own time. Do you hear me?" she asked as she waved her hands in front of his face.

I coughed trying to get their attention.

"Rose, it's alright, I guess we would have to mention something sooner than later. Although Emmett, there are much better ways to ask than embarrassing Bella like that," I told them curtly.

"So are you together then?" Rose asked, trying very poorly to hide her own curiosity.

"Yes we are," Bella responded, a sudden grin taking over her features.

"I am so excited," Rose squealed as she pulled both of us into a hug.

"About time, little brother," Emmett stated before pulling us both into a bone crushing bear hug.

We all made our way to Bella's apartment and had a bottle of wine while Bella and I told them, without too many details, what had transpired the day before.

I was so happy. It felt so right. I loved this woman, and the fact that my family would prefer her over me, spoke volumes of the type of person she was. I was in awe at her beauty, her smarts, her confidence, and most of all, the fact that she was so unaware of how beautiful she was.

I wanted this to be our ever after, our fairytale, but there were things working against us, things that neither one of us could have foreseen or prevented at the time.


	13. Friends and Family

**AN: All of the Twilight characters belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer's. No profit is made or intended.**

**Hello Everyone! First I would like to apologize for the delay in posting. I hate it when stories are not updated on a regular basis but my son just arrived from Puerto Rico, today is his birthday, he turns 13, and I have been really busy.**

**The story is fast approaching the 2,000 hits and I am really excited about that. Thank You for reading and special thanks to my loyal reviewers, your words make my day each and every time.**

**Jagga-Love baby, you rock! Thanks so much for your fantastic Beta work!!**

**----**

**BPOV**

After that first night together, Edward and I became inseparable. For the next couple of days, we were lost in our own little happy bubble. We spent most of our days in bed, or just hanging out around my apartment, trying to get to know every single detail about each other.

We had many things in common but at the same time we were fairly different. It was refreshing to get to know someone that shares the same passion for life like I do. I admired the fact that he had taken that passion and put it to good use by becoming a doctor.

Edward was very tender and loving, he did not treat me as if I was made out of glass, but I could already tell that he was very protective of me. I had never felt so complete in my life, so loved.

Our relationship seemed to be moving at a fast pace, but given all that we had already been through and the depth of our feelings, we felt that it was the right pace for us. Everything just fit into place for once.

For those couple of days I had forgotten all about my past heartbreak due to Mike, Gage's death, and the killer that seemed to be closing ranks in my direction. We simply forgot about anything outside of our bubble of love.

Occasionally we would talk to Emmett, Rose, Jasper, or Alice, but after that night of celebration with Emmett and Rose, we had not spent time with anyone else.

In order to avoid going out in public too much, we ordered groceries online and had them delivered at Emmett's apartment. We hadn't heard any new developments from Jake or any of the detectives involved in the case, so we were still taking as many precautions as possible.

I was just finishing cooking our dinner when I felt Edward's hand wrap around my waist as he rested his head on my shoulder.

"Hello gorgeous, I missed you," he said.

"How is that possible, we haven't left each other's side since Monday and today is Friday," I asked him with a smirk on my face.

"You have been cooking for way too long and there's nothing good on TV," he sighed.

"We need to get out of this apartment, Edward. We are bored to tears," I told him. I knew that we had loved every minute we had spent together, but we both enjoyed the outdoors and I was starting to suffocate in my own apartment.

"I'm not bored," he told me. "I am in heaven. Being with you is all that I need right now. I'm sorry for acting like a needy wimp."

"That's really sweet, and you are definitely not a wimp, so please stop acting as if you are not ready to pull your hairs out from being locked in here for so long. The last time we went out was Tuesday afternoon."

He sighed. "Ok, I'll be honest. I don't think I can spend another full day of not doing anything. I'm so used to being busy all the time, it is driving me a little crazy."

"But Bella, it's not safe for you out there, and I don't want to risk something else happening," he continued.

"I know. This situation is terrible. I hate feeling like a caged animal. Perhaps we should invite the gang for dinner tomorrow night. What do you think?" I asked.

"I think that's a great idea. Why don't you call everybody while I go online to do some more shopping? I'm thinking Filet Mignon stuffed with blue cheese and asparagus."

"That sounds delicious. I could make a spinach salad with candied walnuts as a side, and perhaps some Crème Brule for dessert," I suggested. The prospect of entertaining was sounding more appealing by the minute.

"That sounds perfect. Although, I would like to ask you something," he started, suddenly looking a bit nervous.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm perfect. I was just um… I was wondering if it would be alright if I invited my parents. I know you already met them at the gala, but I have been dying to introduce you as my girlfriend," he told me sheepishly.

"Your girlfriend, huh?"

"Yeah, that's what I consider you, although if I was being honest, I would love to consider you so much more than that," he stated.

I suddenly felt giddy inside. Not only had I lucked out with a gorgeous, considerate, sexy, tender, good cook, passionate, and selfless man, but he was looking forward to a future that included me in it.

"I would love to have your parents over, Edward. I am excited to be introduced as your girlfriend as well," I told him as I closed the distance between us and I crashed my lips into his.

We kissed until we could no longer breathe. I could tell that Edward was starting to get aroused and I decided that it would be fun to tease him for a bit. I placed both of my hands on his shoulders and I pushed him a bit. He looked confused and I took that moment to make my escape.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, that sexy looped side grin on his face.

"I am going to set the table for dinner," I told him, trying my best to look innocent.

He growled and moved forward. I decided to escape to the living room.

"You are going to be the death of me, Bella!"

----

I was working on some articles that I insisted for the Post to send me so that I could keep myself occupied in other things rather than Edward, when the door bell rang.

"I've got it," Edward yelled from the guest bedroom. He was using the spare bedroom as an office, and was trying to do some research for his mother on regards to some charities she wanted to support in the area.

"Hey Emmet!" I heard him say.

"Wow, you two are alive, huh? I was starting to prepare a search and rescue party if you two didn't surface soon," Emmett chuckled as I entered the living room.

"Hi Emmet," I said.

"Hey Bella, is the beast here treating you right?" he asked

"Hey, that's not nice. Besides, the only beast in this room is you, dear brother," Edward responded as he lightly punched Emmett on the shoulder.

"Of course he's treating me right, you silly bear. Anything but, and I would have already gotten him in trouble with you," I said with a giggle. Edward tried to give me an evil glance but couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"So you had more groceries delivered. Should I bring them in?" Emmett asked.

"Let me give you a hand with that," Edward told him as they stepped out of my apartment.

"Hey Bella," Rose said from the door.

"Hey you, how are you doing?" I asked her.

"I am doing great! Someone just brought a Bugatti Type 41 Royale to be restored. Emmett is beyond himself," she told me all excited. I had no idea what kind of car that was, but for the look in her face it must have been a classic.

Emmett and Rose owned a car restoration garage in Rockville, and they were both very much into cars.

"That's great!" I told her.

We chatted for a while longer while the guys moved the groceries to my apartment and put them away. It was nice seeing the easy banter that Emmett and Edward carried. They truly loved each other. I was very lucky to have such great friends and such a great boyfriend.

"Alright Bella, we'll see you later for dinner. Thanks for the invitation," Rosalie said as she waved us goodbye.

"Let's start cooking!" Edward exclaimed. He seemed to like cooking as much if not more than I did.

We worked in silence for a while as he marinated the steaks and made his homemade blue cheese sauce. I quickly made the mix for the Crème Brules and placed them in the oven before turning my attention to the salad. I wanted to have everything ready to be tossed beforehand so that we did not have to spend the entire dinner party in the kitchen.

After finishing with all the kitchen prep work, I decided to head for a shower while Edward made some phone calls. He was still helping Esme with her charity work.

Two hours later we were all sitting at the dining room table enjoying the delicious dinner.

"So Bella, has Edward been treating you good?" Esme asked.

"I think he has been treating her better than good, huh Eddie?" Emmett broadcasted before I could respond, earning a smack from Rosalie and a smack from Alice, while Edward just glared at him.

"Do you always have to be so crude?" Rose asked as she shook her head in mock dissatisfaction. In reality, Rose loved how outspoken Emmett was. She would always tell us how his lack of censorship turned her on.

"It's alright Rose, Emmett just can't help his unfiltered mouth," I told her while I winked at Emmet. I was overly embarrassed but at the same time it felt nice to be joking around with my friends.

"And to answer your question Esme, Edward has been wonderful. You did an awesome job of raising him," I told her while she beamed at Edward.

"I am so happy for you guys, I have never seen Edward so happy," Esme told us as she wrapped her left hand around my shoulder.

"So when are you planning to start at the clinic, Edward?" Carlisle asked.

"I'm not sure dad. It seems like the killer left town for good, but it has only been a little over a week since his last attack and I am not comfortable leaving Bella all on her own right now," Edward replied.

"I understand son, and in all honesty, things are pretty slow still. I was just trying to get a better idea of when to expect you. We need to hire you an assistant and I wanted to have that all ready for you before you started."

"Edward, I am not planning to stay locked at home forever either. I think that if after a few months or so there is nothing new from the killer, that we should resume our normal lives," I said.

"Bella is right Edward. I am expecting her back at work by the end of February. She is a great asset to my department and we all miss her," Alice added.

"I guess that sounds fair. So dad, how about I start the first week of March. Would that work?" he asked.

"That actually works great. I was planning of taking the winter off and doing some traveling with your mother. How does the Maldives sound?" Carlisle asked as he looked at Esme.

"Oh, Carlisle, really? I love you so much," Esme responded as she turned to him and pecked him on the lips.

"Great, so now that everything is settled, where's the dessert?" Emmett asked.

We all busted out laughing at Emmett's impatience.

After dessert we all sat on the living room making plans for the holidays. Esme and Carlisle invited all of us for Thanksgiving since they were going to be leaving the first week of December.

"Well, since I am not allowed to leave my apartment too much, I was thinking we could do Christmas here," I said to everyone.

"That would be great Bella. Jasper and I could stay over starting on the 23rd and we could celebrate the rest of the holidays either in your apartment or at Rose and Emmett's," Alice stated as she started bouncing in her seat.

"That sounds good to me as well. We could do Christmas here and New Years at our apartment," Rose added.

"As long as we have lots of yummy food like earlier, I really don't care where we spend the holidays," Emmett boasted.

"It looks like you kids are going to have a great time," Esme told us.

"The only bad part is that I can't take Bella shopping," Alice sighed.

"We could always do the shopping online," Rose suggested.

"Does everything have to be accompanied by a shopping trip of some sort?" I asked. I was not a huge fan of shopping, and I knew that even online shopping was bound to be exhausting with Alice around.

"Of course, silly. How else where you planning on getting Edward his Christmas presents?" she stated as if it was the most obvious thing.

She had a point. I hadn't even thought about Christmas presents for Edward. I suddenly found myself excited at the prospect.

"I saw that smile," Rose teased. "I knew we would convert you sooner or later."

----

The rest of that week went by in a flash and before we knew it, we were standing outside of Edward parents' house.

"Ostentatious isn't it?" Edward asked with a smirk on his face.

"It's beautiful. Your parents have great taste," I told him. His parent's house was huge. It had a stone and brick finish on the front and it had two levels. The inside was even more amazing.

Everything was perfectly decorated in a way that made you feel cozy and at ease. The décor was white on white with splashes of cherry wood here and there.

"There you are. Welcome to our home Bella," Esme said as she hugged me tightly.

"You have a beautiful house," I told her.

"Thanks dear. Edward why don't you put the casserole that you guys brought in the oven and serve Bella some wine as I show her around?" she asked.

"Alright, but not baby pictures mom," he begged.

"Of course not," Esme replied as she winked at me.

Esme showed me around her 6 bedrooms, all decorated with different themes. My favorite was the one they had separated for Edward. It was dark, but very cozy. The colors were a combination of black and midnight blue. It was a huge contrast compared to the rest of the house, but it was definitely Edward.

After the grand tour, we made our way to her studio where she started showing me pictures of Edward, Alice, and Emmett, as babies.

"Did you know that Emmett was adopted?" she asked as I glanced at a picture of them celebrating Alice's fifth birthday. I had a chuckle at the Rainbow Bright décor.

"No, I had no idea," I responded.

"When Carlisle and I got married, the first thing we wanted to do was have babies. We started trying right at our honeymoon and were really excited when we found out we were expecting a couple of months after the wedding," she told me.

"We were beyond ourselves. We called everyone and we told them the news and immediately started making plans for decorating the nursery. A month later I woke up with horrible cramps, and I lost the baby a few hours later at the hospital," she continued, her eyes filled with tears.

"It was devastating. We could not understand what we had done wrong. That same night, a woman not much older than me was brought into my room. She was seven months pregnant and was about to give birth to a premature baby. Her husband had beaten her up and afterwards had shot himself. At first I was angry that they would place someone pregnant next to me. I had just lost my baby and I thought it was cruel and inconsiderate," she said as she grabbed my hand, the tears now running freely down her cheeks.

"I noticed that she would not stop crying, and against my better judgment, I moved to her bed and embraced her trying to console her. She told me that she had a bad feeling and that she was crying because her poor baby will have no one in the world to care for him. She seemed so desperate, so sure of the fact that she would die, that I found myself promising her that I would take care of her baby. A few hours later she died while giving birth to her baby boy. She told me before she was moved from the room that she thought she was having a boy and that his name was Emmett. We told her doctor of our intentions of adopting the baby, and since there was no family to claim him, social services allowed us to follow through with the process and we were able to adopt him," she said as she gave me a small smile.

"Wow, Esme that is such a sad story. You and Carlisle are the most compassionate people I have ever met," I told her.

She moved closer to me and we embraced. Edward's family was so different from mine. My father was a good person, but very reserved. You could almost say that he lived in his own world. My mother however, was always trying to find ways to climb the social ladder. She wanted nothing more in life than to have a good status and lots of money. In their own way, both of my parents were very unhappy.

In contrast, you could feel the love and dedication on Edward's family. Everyone was so considerate of the other. They all thrived in helping others, and although it was clear that they had money, it was definitely not the purpose or the central focus of their lives.

----

**EPOV**

I went to the kitchen to place Bella's green bean casserole on one of the empty ovens and was assaulted by all of the wonderful aromas of the meal being cooked.

"It smells amazing," Jasper said from somewhere behind, me startling me.

"Hey bro, I had no idea you were here," I told him.

"Sorry for scaring you. We just arrived and I immediately followed the scent of this brilliant meal," he told me with a chuckle.

"Hey Edward," Alice exclaimed as she jumped in my arms for a kiss and a hug. "Where is everybody?"

"Emmett, Rose, and dad are in the family room watching the turkey bowl, and Bella and mom are somewhere upstairs, probably looking at baby pictures," I responded.

"Alright then, I am going to start working on my salad while mom and Bella bond," Alice told me as she winked at me.

Jasper and I made our way to the family room as my dad and Emmett were on a heated discussion about who would be winning the super bowl next year. Rose just sat there rolling her eyes at both of them, interrupting every now and then to talk about who she thought would win.

"It looks like we came in just in time to save them from having a duel outside," Jasper whispered to me as I planted myself in front of the TV.

"Are we going to watch this game, or let it go to waste while debating football games that are still a ways away," I asked.

"Move Eddie, of course we are watching this game," Emmett exclaimed, exasperated.

I spent the next twenty minutes trying to focus on the game but my mind kept drifting back to Bella. She was amazing. I don't think I had ever loved someone the way I loved Bella. In fact, I was sure that Bella was the only person I had loved and love.

She is so beautiful, caring, smart, silly, clumsy, witty, and sexy. She had so many fine qualities. I was amazed they were packed inside such a small little thing.

I loved to hear her take on different things and I cherished her compassion. We had many things in common, but also many things were different. I never knew what would come out of her mouth, or what she was thinking. It was as if she kept me on my toes at all times. I was truly and irrevocably in love with her.

For the first time since I was a child, I was giddy about the upcoming holidays. I already had a list of things I wanted to get her for Christmas and I could not wait to see her reaction. On one of our many conversations, she had mentioned that her dream was to become an author. I really wanted to help her follow her dreams, so I had purchased some journals to help her get started.

I decided to go look for Bella. I was sure that my mom was showing her embarrassing after embarrassing baby picture of me and I figured I would save her from all of that, or at least save my dignity.

I made my way up the stairs when I hear my mom's voice coming from one of the rooms. I had never been to their new house before, but I was pretty sure the room was my mom's study because that is where she kept our baby pictures and scrapbooks.

The door was slightly opened so I pushed it so that I could come in and I gasped as I saw Esme and Bella hugging each other with tears in their eyes.

I cleared my throat to let them know I was here, and my mom turned giving me her best smile.

"Is everyone alright?" I asked.

"Yes dear. I was just sharing with Bella some stories about Emmett's adoption while we looked at baby pictures," Esme said as she smiled back at Bella.

"Your family is so amazing Edward," Bella said as she approached me and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips.

"You are pretty amazing yourself," I told her as I wrapped my arms around her waist and gave her another kiss.

We made our way downstairs and joined the rest of the family. The girls decided to busy themselves in the kitchen while we guys continued watching the game.

Every now and then Bella would come in with an appetizer for us or to refresh our drinks.

"You are spoiling us," dad told her as she brought us a new round of beers.

"It's really a pleasure," she responded while her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink.

"Yeah Bella, you need to stop spoiling them," Alice piped in from the kitchen. "They're supposed to get off their rears and get their own food and drinks while we slave in the kitchen."

"I would hardly call making a salad slaving," mom told her jokingly.

After the game was over, we made our way to the kitchen to finish up with supper. It was tradition for us guys to carve the turkey and the ham, and bring all of the plates to the buffet table on the back wall of the dining room.

I served Bella a little bit of everything. We had the traditional turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, a green salad, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and a special Thanksgiving drink my mom liked to make with cider, champaign, and other spices.

"We have a lot to be thankful for this year," my dad started to say as he stood by the table. "We have been blessed with the opportunity to once again be close to each other, we have been blessed with a lot of success, and most importantly, we are welcoming a very important person to our family. Bella, thank you for accepting us into your life, we are very happy to have met you and I am not alone when I say that you are considered part of our family. Thank you God, for all that you have blessed us with, and thank you ladies for the wonderful meal we are about to consume."

"Amen to that. Let's eat," Emmett squealed as he dug into his plate.

I glance over at Bella and I noticed that she had tears on her eyes, as she digested my father's words. I was happy that they had accepted her so fully and I could tell that the feelings were mutual.

"I love you," I whispered in her ear as I scooted closer to her.

"I love you too," she responded before placing a sweet kiss on my cheek.

After the meal was over, we spent a few hours playing cranium. We had decided on two teams, so it was my parents with Bella and I on one team, and Rosemett and Alisper, as we liked to called them when we were playing games on another.

"You guys are cheating," Emmet yelled as our team beat his for the third time in a row.

"It's not our fault you suck at charades," Bella giggled while she poked her tongue out at Emmett.

We continued our banter for another two games before we decided to head back home. My mom insisted on wrapping up some leftovers for us and we thanked her as we made our way to the car.

I wanted to make it back into Bella's apartment before night time. I was still weary of the freak roaming the streets and I did not want to put our lives in danger.

As soon as we entered Bella's apartment, she jumped in my arms.

"Thank you Edward, I had the most wonderful time today," she told me between kisses.

"It's you I should be thanking, Bella. I don't think my family has ever felt so united and so complete before. They all adore you," I told her while I wrapped my hands around her thighs and lifted her up, carrying her to her bedroom.

"And what do you think you're doing, Mr. Cullen," she asked with a smirk on her face.

"I'm going to enjoy dessert number two, my dear."

"Yum, I can hardly wait," she moaned as she licked her lips in anticipation.

I chuckled and I tackled her onto the bed as I proceeded to kiss every inch of her exposed skin. Making love to Bella was by far the best experience of my existence, and I knew I would never grow tired of it.

----

**MPOV**

I was furious at myself for having to go back to California and away from Bella. I knew that there was some guy living in her apartment thanks to the surveillance that my partner was able to do for me before he left for Seattle. I wanted nothing more than to kill the bastard.

I realized however, that killing another one of her lovers was not going to help things. I needed to put a new plan in motion. A new plan that would bring me closer to Bella, without arising any more suspicions. I wanted to get so close she wouldn't see it coming.

I knew just the person. This was going to be so easy. I chuckled to myself as I dialed her number.

"_Hello?"_

"It's me, Mike," I answered.

"_Mike!,"_ she yelled in excitement.

Renee had told me in more than one occasion that she thought Bella made a mistake by leaving me. She wanted nothing more than for me to talk some sense into her and for us to be back together.

"I have a favor to ask Renee," I told her in a whiny voice. I wanted her to believe that I was begging for her help.

"_Of course Mike. What can I do for you?"_ she asked.

Gotcha bitch! I thought to myself as I suppressed a giggle.

"It's Bella. I am afraid she's living with some loser. How could she do that to me? To us?" I asked as I turned up a notch on the theatrics.

"_She is what? What do you mean she is living with someone?"_ she asked in hysterics.

"I don't know what has gotten into her Renee, but I am sure she just barely met the guy and she is just throwing herself at him. I had to leave DC. I could not stand seeing them together like that."

"_I am so sorry Mike. I'm so embarrassed by her behavior. She is not the daughter I raised,"_ she told me.

"We need to help her become that girl again Renee. That is why I need your help. I want nothing more than to make an honest woman out of her. Can I count with your support?"

"_Of course Mike. Anything you need. How can I help?"_ she asked a little too eager.

"I am going to be spending the next couple of months in California. I am afraid that I have neglected my responsibilities for far too long, and I need to handle some things. I was hoping that you would be able to come over and spend some time in my house while we plan an intervention for Bella," I told her.

"_Yes, of course Mike. I will be there for as long as you need me. We will make her see some sense,"_ she responded excitedly.

It was no secret that she loved the house I had purchased for me and Bella in Malibu. I was going to give her a taste of the life Bella would have had if she had stayed with me, while she helped me plan how to get close to Bella. The best part was that she would have no idea that she would be helping me plan her daughter's demise.

"Thank you so much Renee. You are such a wonderful person. Just go to the airport tomorrow morning. I will have my private jet there waiting for you. I can't wait to see you."

"_My pleasure Mike. You know that I love you like a son. See you tomorrow, ok?" _

"See you soon, Renee."

I shut the phone before I lifted my fist in victory. This was indeed going to be very easy. Pretty soon my Bella was going to be back in my arms, and pretty soon she would have a taste of her own medicine. I was about to pop her stupid bubble big time.

----

**AN: I wanted to bring your attention to two fabulous stories that I really like. If you haven't read them already, please check them out. They are both by the same author: ObsessingOverEdward. Her stories are: Lady of the Night and Holding Out For You. Lady of the night is a complete story with a little Pretty Woman twist to it. I hope you like them.**

**Also, I would love your help in reaching 50 reviews. I know there are a lot of you out there reading the story and it would be great if you could drop in at least a couple of words letting me know how you like the story so far. Thanks so much!!**


	14. Nine and a Half Weeks

**AN: All the characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No profit is made or intended.**

**Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a fantastic week. I am really excited about this chapter. There is a scene on a movie that I consider to be super hot, and for those of you old enough to have seen it, this will be a nice trip down memory lane. I will give you more details at the bottom of this chapter.**

**Thanks so much to all of you who reviews, I really appreciate your thoughts and comments!**

**Jagga-Love, have I told you lately that I love you?**

**----**

**BPOV**

The rest of the holidays went by in a blur. Time had ceased to be important the day I became his. He was now one hundred percent, irrevocably my Edward.

I thought I was in love with Mike when I decided to marry him, but in reality I had no idea what love was. Now I knew what it was, and I knew the power it had over everything.

The power to make you have a constant smile.

The power to make you believe in fairy tales and love at first sight.

The power to heal all wounds and to keep the monsters of your past away.

The power to make you forget about everything and everyone in the world, even those trying to hunt you down.

I had never felt this happy in my life before and I only had him to thank. The only thing missing was the approval from my mother, but I knew she was not ready to hear that I had moved on yet.

We had not spoken since after my failed wedding and I was pretty sure she was waiting for me to take the first step, so I was very surprised when she called my cell phone out of the blue. I was too caught up in my own little world to answer it. I knew I would have to face her at some point, but I wasn't ready.

I needed to give my relationship with Edward some more time to make sure it was solid. It wasn't that I was afraid it wasn't real, but my mother had the uncanny ability of poking nonexistent holes on things, and I wanted to be able to counter every possible scenario she may come up with in order to destroy my confidence and make me yield to her will.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Edward asked as he entered my bedroom, leaning casually on the door frame.

"Hey there, how did the research go?" I asked. He was still trying to figure out the finer details of the charity foundation his mother was going to be opening and had spent the last couple of hours working on the guest bedroom.

"It went well. I'm pretty sure we're going to end up covering more than one cause. My mom has been unable to choose just one, and I agree with her. There are so many children out there in need of help and support."

"I am so proud of you, baby. Witnessing firsthand the way your family gives themselves to those in need, has caused me to revaluate some things in life. I want to be able to give back to others as well, even if I don't have much to give. I want to help in any way I can," I told him.

He quickly closed the distance between the door and my bed and sat down on the edge of it while dragging me to him and wrapping his strong arms around me.

"Bella, I love you so much. You have no idea how happy you make me. You are so selfless, so caring. I never thought I could meet someone like you. I feel so very lucky to have you in my life," he whispered in my ear sending a current of electricity to run through my entire body making my toes curl.

"So what were you concentrating so much on?" he asked as he tilted his head to the side in curiosity.

"My mom has been calling me nonstop since last night," I sighed.

"Oh. Are you going to call her back?" he asked. It was impossible to miss the look of concern that took over his features.

"Not yet. I'm not ready to talk to her. Am I a terrible daughter for cringing at the idea of speaking with my own mother?"

"No Bella. It's understandable after what happened. However I think you need to give it some thought. I think you'll feel much better once you have patched things over with her," he told me as he caressed the side of my face.

"I know. I just need a little time. Are you hungry?" I asked.

"Are you trying to change the subject?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Hmm, maybe," I smiled.

"I was actually thinking that I haven't spoiled you enough today. So to rectify that, I was wondering if I could cook lunch for you. I absolutely love your cooking, but I really, really wanted to spoil you," he stated eagerly.

"You don't have to try too hard to convince me. I love your cooking."

"Great. So why don't you go ahead and take a shower while I cook?" he asked.

"Why do I have a feeling you're going to keep me out of the kitchen until lunch is ready?"

"Who said I was going to let you go in the kitchen at all," he asked with a smirk.

"Alright Cullen, I'll go and take a shower, but only because you are so cute," I told him as I pinched his cheek.

He playfully slapped me on my rear as I made my way to the bathroom. I had no idea what he had planned, but judging by that mischievous smirk on his face, I knew it would be something really good.

I turned on the shower as I thought about the time that we had spent together. It had been exactly nine and a half weeks since he started staying in my apartment. They had been the best nine and a half weeks of my life.

I stepped in the shower letting my thoughts take me to more unpleasant things. We had not heard anything else about the man (or at least I thought it was a man) that killed Gage. Next week I was to return to work and Edward was going to start working with his father and I was dreading it.

As much as I was looking forward to leaving my apartment and spending time with other people, I hated the fact that I was going to be spending most of my time away from Edward. I had no idea how I was going to be able to handle that when already, my body started to ache for his the moment he stopped touching me.

I was also worried about him leaving. With the killer gone, there was no real need for him to stay over at my apartment. I knew the day would come when he would have to find his own place and move, but I was not ready for that either. In fact, I was pretty sure I would never be ready for that.

I felt a little pathetic for being so selfish, but I could not imagine a single hour of my life without Edward. _Should I ask him to stay? Is it too early for us to officially live together?_ I was struggling with this decision. If it was up to me, we would stay here forever, but I knew that he must be tired of only being with me, and I was pretty sure he wanted to get back to his own life.

I decided at that moment that the best I could do was ask. Once I made that decision there was no backing out, even if I was terrified of his answer.

I realized that I had been in the shower for too long when the water turned cold. I quickly stepped out and dried myself before putting on my bathrobe. I decided that I was going to take a sneak peek at Chef Edward. He looked so sexy when he was concentrating on cooking something.

As quietly as I could, I tiptoed to the kitchen. I knew that there would be hell to pay if Edward caught me sneaking in, but I just couldn't help myself. I started to take a breath of relief as I stood on the door frame only to be startled by Edward giving me a serious look.

"Stop right there. Don't move," he warned as he approached me, a reproachful look on his face.

"I believe someone has been very naughty," he whispered in my ear as he reached me.

"I… I"

"Shh, please sit right there on the floor," he commanded, successfully interrupting what I was going to say.

"By the fridge? The door is open," I mumbled.

"Yes, right there. Now be very still," he instructed.

"Close your eyes, I'm going to cover them with a scarf."

"Okay," I whispered. I had no idea what had gotten into him, but I was enjoying this commanding, serious Edward very much.

Softly, he draped a silky fabric over my eyes, tying it firmly behind my head.

"There," he whispered in my ear as he proceeded to place small kisses all over my jaw and my neck, finally reaching my lips. He ran his tongue over them as if begging for entrance, but before I had a chance to allow him in, he pulled back.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"You are such a tease," I huffed.

"Please answer my question, Bella. Are you hungry?" he asked in a more authoritative voice.

"Yes," I mumbled.

"Would you like for me to feed you?"

"I would love that," I answered as a shiver ran down my spine.

"Do you trust me, Bella?" he asked in a husky voice.

"Yes Edward, with all my heart," I replied without hesitation.

I could feel him moving away from me and I was suddenly startled by all the noises coming from the kitchen. I had no idea what he had planned, but I was very excited, regardless.

Suddenly he was once again next to me as I heard him pull stuff out of the refrigerator. It seemed like he was placing items right next to me on the floor. The next thing I heard were cans being opened and utensils being taken out of one of the kitchen drawers.

Edward sat down right in front of me and hugged me, leaving a trail of kisses on the back of my neck. For what I could feel, he was only wearing his boxers and I couldn't help the surge of giddiness that filled me.

I could hear a spoon coming out of something metallic, and suddenly I could smell the maraschino cherries I had bought for a pie. He placed the food right in front of my mouth and I could feel the syrup running down towards my legs.

I opened my mouth and he fed me the cherries very carefully. I liked my lips in anticipation as I heard the same sound, and I eagerly opened my mouth when he once again approached me with the delicious fruit.

I giggled as he grabbed something else and softly caressed my lips with it. Then he softly forced it my mouth and I eagerly wrapped my lips around it, sucking it a little bit until I finally decided to take a bite. It was a cucumber.

Edward was chuckling next to me, surely because of my reaction, and I decided that I was going to have fun with it too.

"Open wide," he commanded.

I did as I was told only to have my mouth filled with something creamy. I realized it was whipped cream, and I took my tongue full of it out and I smeared it all over my lips. Edward gasped as I gave him a come hither signal with my fingers, and started to lick the cream from my face, ending it with a passionate kiss.

We repeated the same process a few times before he rubbed something different across my lips. I let him place it in my mouth as I bit hard on what seemed to be a vegetable. I was just about to swallow when I was hit with the intense heat that only a jalapeno could provide.

"Ugh, it's spicy!" I screamed in surprise.

Edward brought something else to my mouth and I soon realized that he was still teasing me with the jalapeno, so I shook my head violently trying to get him to stop.

The next thing I heard was something being poured on a glass. He handed me the glass and I started drinking greedily, realizing that it was milk. I could feel the milk spilling out of my mouth as I drank as fast as I could, trying to mitigate the burning fire that was consuming my mouth.

Edward chuckled as he removed the now empty glass from my hands and gave me a kiss on the lips. Then he started feeding me noodles, olives, grapes, and finally strawberries. I would twirl each new item in my tongue in a teasing manner before consuming the food. Then, as he held a strawberry in front of my mouth, I pulled it in completely in a swift movement, earning another round of chuckles.

"Stick your tongue out," he commanded.

I did, and he started pouring honey on my tongue, not giving me enough time to swallow. The honey started spilling out of my mouth as he started to pour the honey all over my legs, bringing the sticky substance closer to my core with each squirt.

I groaned as he opened my legs and started to massage the honey along my thighs, rubbing his hands back and forward, getting close to my core, but never touching me where I wanted him the most.

I quickly ripped the blindfold from my eyes and I stared at Edward. He had a hungry expression in his eyes as he moved to lick the honey from my legs.

"Fuck, you taste so good Bella," he groaned as I grabbed him by his silky hair and moved his head so that he was right in front of my center.

"I need you Edward, right now," I ordered, no longer caring if I sounded desperate.

He quickly obeyed, and parted my sleek and sticky folds, now covered in honey, as he started to lick my knob, giving it gentle bites every now and then. I moaned his name over and over as he placed two fingers inside of me, while he continued his ministrations with his tongue.

I could feel the familiar tightening of my stomach muscles as I approached my orgasm, and I led out a yelp as I lost control, my body trembling in ecstasy.

"My turn," I whispered as I pushed him on the grown, having him lay on his back. I grabbed the honey bottle and I dumped the remnants on his throbbing erection. I had never done anything like this to him, but I was desperate to take him in my mouth, to taste him.

I swirled my tongue along his erection until there was no honey left to lick. Then I wrapped my lips around the tip as I moved my mouth down his length.

"God Bella, that feels fucking amazing," he moaned as I bobbled my head up and down his member, my left hand stroking the part that I couldn't fit in my mouth. The more he moaned the faster I moved and I could feel his erection thicken in my mouth and throb as he approached his release. With one last movement I felt him explode inside me as I swallowed every ounce of what he had to offer.

I looked up at him while I licked my lips in satisfaction.

"That was amazing," I panted.

"You have no idea how fucking awesome that was," he moaned as I giggled at his dirty talking.

He sat up, and pulled me upright as he stood up; placing a hand behind my knees as he cradled me and moved us to my bedroom.

----

**EPOV**

My lunch plans had turned out better than I had imagined. In fact I ended up not cooking anything at all as I teased Bella with all the stuff she had in her refrigerator and her pantry. I loved seeing her reaction to each food item I placed in her mouth, but what I loved the most was the way she would tease me back, making us both grunt in desire.

The best part however, was when she went down on me. She had never done something like that before, and to say that I was shocked was a huge understatement. My desire for her grew by tenfold at that moment and I couldn't resist the urge to go all caveman on her and fuck her senseless.

I quickly got up from my position on the floor and I lifted Bella in my hands, I needed to take her to our bedroom now. She giggled as I hurried across the hallway and pushed her door open in a swift movement.

At that moment I realized that we were both covered in food, so going at it on our bed would have been a bad idea.

"Someone has a very dirty pussy," I whispered in her ear. I could tell that she loved it when I talked dirty to her.

"And what are you going to do about that?" she asked in defiance, teasing me back.

"I think I need to give you a proper bath," I told her while I continued to walk us towards our bathroom.

I quickly placed Bella on top of the marble counter tops before directing my attention to her Jacuzzi tub. I checked the water temperature, making sure it was very warm so that we could take our time bathing each other. Then I looked through her bath oil collection, settling on the freesia scented one, and adding it to the water along with her strawberry bubble soap.

I went back to Bella as the tub filled with the water and I wrapped my arms around her waist.

"You're trembling. Are you cold?" I asked as I rubbed my hands vigorously all over her back in an attempt to warm her up.

"I'm trembling for you, baby," she whispered in a sexy voice, causing me to once again stand in attention.

I crashed my lips against hers and we continued to kiss on perfect sync as I waited for the bath water to fill the tub. Once I was satisfied with the water level, I lifted Bella from the marble top and carried her over to the tub, carefully placing her inside of it.

She scooped forward to allow me to slip in right behind her, and I moaned as I felt her moved back, grinding her back side against my erection. I lifted her by the waist and I carefully placed her over me, allowing me to enter her hot and wet core.

"Oh my God, Edward," she moaned as I filled her with my length.

I attacked her right ear as I started to nibble around her lobe, moving to her neck and her shoulder. She moved her head to the side so that we could kiss, while she held to the sides of the tub and started to lift herself so that she was moving in sync with my movements inside her.

Once again, I grabbed her waist and I stopped her from moving, swiftly turning her around so that she was now straddling me as I continued to go in and out of her core.

Bella continued to mumble my name and other incoherencies as I pumped her harder and harder, the bath water splashing out of the tub. I moved my head so that I could put her breast in my mouth, my tongue twirling around her nipple as she placed her hands in my hair, her fingers pulling my strands, hard.

"I could stay like this … with you … forever," I whispered in her ear before I leaned over to kiss her.

"I never want … to be anywhere… but here," she responded between moans.

We continued loving each other until neither of us could hold off any longer. I encouraged her to come for me as I let my release take over, both of us riding the same wave of pleasure.

After that, we actually took turns bathing each other, not leaving the tub until our skin looked like dried plums and the water was ice cold.

I got out of the tub first and gently lifted Bella out of it, placing her once again on the marble top of her sink vanity. I dried her before drying myself and I carried her to our bedroom before handing her one of my button down shirts.

"You look so sexy in my clothes," I told her as she stared at me, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Is everything alright?" I asked. I was now worried about her expression, and I hoped that I hadn't pushed her too far.

"Yes, everything is perfect, and that's the problem," she replied.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't even know how to start," she mumbled as she casted her eyes downward.

"Baby, you know you can tell me anything, right? Was this too much? Are we going too fast? You know that I would be willing to wait for you until you're ready. I'm sorry…" but she interrupted me before I had a chance to finish.

"No, Edward. You're misunderstanding me," she told me, her hand grabbing my chin so that I could face her, my eyes meeting hers.

"I love you, and what we share is so special, and it feels so natural that I am terrified of losing it. I know that you need to find a place of your own, but the idea of you not being here with me terrifies me… I feel pathetic," she told me, as she once again looked to the floor.

Now it was my turn to lift her chin up so that her gaze could meet mine.

"Bella, what exactly are you asking me here?" I asked.

"Would you stay here? Now that the killer seems to be gone and my life is no longer in danger, I realize that there is nothing to hold you here, and I would like for us to live together," she said sheepishly.

"Bella, love, of course I will stay here. There is no other place in the world I'd rather be. I really mean that. I have been thinking about this for a while, and I even consider this place my home. To me this is _our_ apartment, and I love sharing everything with you," I told her with determination. I needed her to see that I truly wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with her, my angel.

"But what about your things? Don't you miss your piano? Your office? I am pretty sure I am suffocating you here."

"Well, I was looking at the paper yesterday, and I saw an advertisement for the penthouse of this building. I was going to suggest moving in there with you. It has four bedrooms and a large den area that could easily fit my piano. I was hoping we could check it out later today, or tomorrow," I told her.

"The penthouse?" she gasped. "I don't think I can afford that," she continued.

"Don't be so absurd Bella, I would be paying for it, and I can definitely afford it," I told her while I stroked her cheek.

"I don't want you to pay for everything Edward. If we move in together, I want both of us to share the expenses," she said adamantly.

"Alright, that's fine with me. So is that a yes?" I asked eagerly.

"Of course silly, I would move to the moon if that meant I would be living with you," she answered with a smile.

"Then it's settled. Why don't I call the real estate agent before someone else grabs the place?" I asked. Washington DC had a very competitive housing market and we were in a very sought after location.

"Great, let me put some clothes on, and we can be ready. Hopefully we will get to see it today," she exclaimed.

"Aren't we eager?" I asked sarcastically as she spanked my rear.

----

After looking at the penthouse we had decided to fill out the paperwork right then and there and we would be moving to our new place in a week. I was relieved to see that Bella was as excited as I was.

I had been considering a way to ask her for us to officially move together, but I was worried that I was outstaying my welcome.

Once we got back to our apartment I went into my temporary office as Bella liked to call her spare bedroom and I called Detective Black.

"_This is Black_," he answered on the first ring.

"Hello Detective, this is Edward Cullen."

"_Hello Dr. Cullen. How is Bella?_" he asked, his voice sounding concerned.

"Bella is doing great. I was actually calling you to see if there had been any new developments on the case," I asked.

"_No, it seems as if the earth swallowed that piece of scum alive,_" he replied.

"_I am actually going back to Washington State later next week. There have been absolutely no developments that would justify me and Detective Clearwater staying in this area any longer. We are going to continue the investigation from there, hoping to uncover new clues by revisiting the first case,_" he explained.

"So, do you think it's alright for Bella to return to work next Monday?" I asked. I knew that there would be no force on this earth that could change Bella's mind, but I wanted to make sure it was safe.

"_I suppose so. We don't think the killer is in the DC area any longer. I do however want to stress the importance of someone knowing where she is at all times, and of notifying us, or Agent Ford at the FBI if anything out of the ordinary happens,_" he stated.

"Absolutely! I will continue to protect her the best way I can," I told him.

"_I know this is none of my business, but do you love her?_" he asked. I was a little taken aback by his question, but then I remembered that he used to have a crush on Bella when she was in high school.

"With all my heart," I finally responded.

"_Good. I want her to be happy, Cullen. You screw up, and I will be the first one to make you pay. Do we understand each other?_" he asked.

"Yes we do, and trust me, if I ever did anything to hurt Bella, I would waste no time asking you to take care of me," I replied.

"_Tell her I say hello, and to be safe._"

"I will Detective Black. Thank you!"

"_Please just call me Jacob,_" he replied.

"Ok Jacob, no problem."

I sighed as I hung up the phone. I was terrified of the thought of not being there for Bella should she ever face the killer, but I knew I had to let go. The killer was no longer in the area and there was no reason for me to hold her back from getting back to work.

I was planning to start out with a small case load of patients, that way I could be home by the time Bella got home, and I could spend most of the weekends with her.

"Hello handsome," Bella purred from the door.

"Hi love, did you miss me?" I asked with a chuckle. That was when I noticed she was not wearing anything. I gasped in surprise.

"I did! Care to join me in our bed?" she asked in a sexy voice. "We need to celebrate today's developments," she added.

I groaned as I closed the gap between us, wrapping my arms underneath her knees, and lifting her so that she was hanging off my back. Bella squealed as I practically ran to our bedroom.

----

After making love a few more times that night, we fell into a deep slumber. We both worked ourselves beyond exhaustion. I loved sleeping with my arms wrapped around naked Bella. It felt like home, sleeping with her.

She was my home.

There were so many emotions running through my mind, making me almost dizzy. I loved this woman in a way that I never thought possible. I felt this strong urge to protect her, to care for her. To me she was made out of the most delicate china and I would do anything in my power for her to never be broken again.

I also loved the fact that my parents considered her another daughter. They had never accepted anyone that I had dated so fully, with wide open arms. My siblings treated her as another sibling and the six of us got along amazingly. She was the little something-something that was missing that made us cohesive.

I was having a really good dream involving Bella, blindfolds, and feathers when the doorbell rang. I quickly glanced at the clock on the nightstand, realizing that it was only six in the morning.

"Damn it, Emmett," I mumbled to myself as I put on my boxers and headed to the door.

"What the hell do you want at this hour?" I yelled as I opened the door, gasping when I realized it was not Emmett.

"Who the hell do you think you are speaking to me in such a way? Why are you almost naked? Where is Bella?"

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**AN: So, who do you think is at the door? What did you think of the lemons?**

**As the title of this chapter implies, I took inspiration on a movie called 9 ½ weeks. If you get a chance, please go to You Tube and check out the scene, it's so much better in video.**


	15. Guilt

**AN: I don't own Twilight!**

**Hello everyone! I want to thank you all for your continued support and your wonderful reviews. My story finally made it to 50 reviews and I couldn't be happier.**

**This chapter is dedicated to the amazingly talented Charley (My Lion. My Lamb), I hope I don't disappoint you!**

**Jagga-Love, you rock my world baby!!**

**----**

**Renee POV**

I like to think that I have been a good mother. I have done my best to provide the best for my daughter, even at times when it meant sacrificing myself. All I ever asked was that she married well, and gave herself the opportunity to live the life that I was never able to provide for her.

I was the one who convinced Mike to move to Washington DC and pursue her. The poor guy had been in love with her since they were in high school, but never had the guts to ask her out. I could tell that he was heartbroken on their graduation day, seeing how she was going to leave for DC and he was stuck in Forks learning the family business.

If it wasn't for the fact that Mike was the heir to the Newton Empire, I would have never invested the time and effort to convince him that he was meant for Bella.

I was super ecstatic when Bella called one day to tell me that she was dating Mike. I knew it would be a short time before he would ask for her hand in marriage. My little girl was on her way to become Mrs. Newton, and I could not wait to rub that in the faces of all those women who saw me as a poor little nothing. Our time to shine had finally come.

There was one little problem, Jessica Stanley. Jessica had been in love with Mike since they were in high school, and it was no secret that she kept him company every time he had a need for someone.

When she heard of Mike dating Bella, she called me to accuse me that it was all my doing and to threaten me that she was going to make sure Mike left her. I still remember that conversation in detail.

_I was looking at the new Bride magazine that had just arrive on the mail when my phone rang._

"_Hello?" I answered._

"_What the hell do you think you are doing pushing Bella on Mike?" the person at the other end of the line asked._

"_Jessica?" I asked, recognizing her voice._

"_Who else?" she spat._

"_What the hell do you want? You know that you have never been good enough for Mike. That is why he has never made you his official girlfriend, why he keeps your relationship a secret," I told her with as much venom as I could muster._

"_You know that Mike loves me, he always has. The only reason he is after Bella now is because you have been giving her to him on a silver platter, telling him that his family would never accept anyone else," she yelled._

_I laughed. I could not believe how delusional she was._

"_Jessica, honey, please stop making a fool of yourself. If Mike really loved you, he would not have moved to DC to be with Bella," I told her._

"_That is where you are wrong Renee. Mike came here for me. He laughed at all your efforts to get him to pursue Bella. He thinks she is a prude and an idiot. The only reason he is pursuing her now is because you convinced his mother he could not do better, and now she won't accept anyone else. But if you think that Mike's father will let him marry some poor shit like your daughter, you are sadly mistaken," she spat. _

"_I admit that convincing his father will be an uphill battle, but Mike and Bella are already together, so it looks like you lose," I yelled back, unable to control my anger anymore._

"_I am going to have him break it off. He will be married to me by the end of the month. You'll see," she continued, now in a mocking tone._

"_And how in the world do you think you are going to accomplish that?" I asked._

"_I am pregnant with Mike's child. I just got confirmation from the lab. I am going to tell him tonight, after he returns from his stupid date with Bella," she snickered._

_I gasped. This could not be happening. I had to act quickly._

"_Go to hell," I yelled before hanging up the phone._

As soon as I hung up with Jessica I called Mr. Newton. I told him how I heard from some of the ladies at the country club that Jessica Stanley was trying to trap Mike by getting pregnant on purpose and how she was only doing it so that she could inherit their money. It was not hard to convince him that she was a gold digging whore.

That same night Mr. Newton took a flight to DC and made Jessica an offer she could not refuse. He offered her an offshore account with five million dollars if she got rid of the baby and never, ever spoke to Mike about the existence of the baby.

A few weeks later I received another call from Jessica, this time she told me in a resigned voice that I won, but that the war was far from over.

I thought that she was done fooling around with Mike, but I was sadly mistaken. She decided that the best revenge was to kiss Mike in front of Bella at her own wedding. The little whore ruined everything and now I had a big mess to clean up.

I was more than shocked to hear that Jessica had been murdered, but I could not bring myself to feel bad for her. I was sure that she had tried to break another couple and that it had all resulted in her death. What a foolish girl.

Ever since the wedding, my stubborn daughter had refused to talk to me. She had even managed to move to a new apartment without giving me or her father any indication of her whereabouts. I still had her cell phone number, but I refused to call her until she realized her wrong ways and came back to me begging for help with Mike.

I waited and waited, but that call never came. I had no idea what was going on in that head of hers, but I was disappointed that she was throwing away the best thing that had ever happened to her. Later I found out that she had been dating some fool in DC who was murdered. I was glad. Now she would realize that she was meant for Mike, and Mike only.

I was very sure she would be calling me soon, begging for me to forgive her. Once again, I waited, but no call. Then one day, I had done all but given up hope when I received a call from Mike.

I was super happy to find out that he had not given up on her, even though it turned out that Bella had become a whore. She was already dating someone else, and he was even living in her apartment.

I tried to call Charlie to warn him about the situation, but he refused to take my calls. It was decided on my conversation with Mike that I would be moving with him to what was supposed to be Bella's house, and I was going to help him figure out a way to get her back.

For weeks we discussed strategy over strategy, trying to find out the best way to get her to see Mike. I knew that if he asked for forgiveness in person, she would be unable to refuse.

We finally came up with a good plan, and I took a flight to Washington DC excited about helping Bella get back into the right path once and for all. I was going to show her that although she had been an ungrateful daughter, I loved her with all my heart and I was willing to forgive her.

I got off the blue colored taxi and I doubled checked the address that Mike had written down for me before moving close to the entrance so that I could let myself in as soon as someone came out.

From the outside, the building looked nice. I was impressed by the fact that Bella had managed to secure a place like this, and I was wondering if she had been using the man she was seeing for his money. That new fact made things easier in my mind, because it meant that she was finally getting the picture, and she would be lured easily into Mike's fortune.

I took the elevator and I pushed the number for Bella's floor. I was prepared to shut down every single pretense that she may use to fight me. Bella was so insecure. It wasn't hard to turn around her very arguments against her.

I took a deep breath and rang her doorbell. I could hear footsteps approaching and I put on my best motherly smile.

"What the hell do you want at this hour?" a man only clad in boxer shorts, with hair that screamed sex, yelled.

"Who the hell do you think you are speaking to me in such a way? Why are you almost naked? Where is Bella?" I asked in an angry voice.

"What the hell are you doing here mom?" Bella asked. She was only covered by her bed sheet. My daughter had truly become a whore.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself? You look like a slut! Who the hell do you think you are to disrespect your mother like this?" I yelled.

"Renee, is it? Hmm, why don't you come inside?" The asshole in the boxer shorts asked.

I moved inside and headed for Bella's living room. I was livid. I knew that she was living with someone but I had refused to believe Mike when he told me that Bella had lost all sense of morals and was having sex with this man.

Then it hit me. He was the guy from Acapulco.

"Mom, please let me explain…" Bella started.

"Shut up, Bella. Now I get it. You are such a deceiving little monster. You had us all fooled," I spat.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"This piece of scum is the guy you were whoring with at your own wedding in Acapulco. What did you do? Did you invite him to come over so that you could cheat on poor Mike? Were you planning to escape with this piece of shit?" I screamed as I pointed at the loser.

"Mom, you have no right to accuse me of something like that. You don't even know Edward. Things are not what they look like," she yelled. To say that I was shocked at her tone of voice would have been an understatement.

"Where do you get off yelling at your poor mother like that? All I ever wanted was the best for you. I can't believe that you are tossing it all away. All the sacrifices, all the things I have done for you. You are such an ungrateful daughter," I cried.

"Ungrateful? Is that what you think? Mike was the one who cheated on me at our own wedding, and you defended him. You preferred him over me. You never take me seriously, mom. You give my feelings no importance while you try to make me submit to your will. I have news for you Renee, that Bella has been dead for a long time now. Your theatrics no longer work, so you are wasting your time," she spat back.

"Bella, love, please calm down," the asshole in the boxer shorts interjected. "This is your mother, you really don't want to regret this," he continued.

"Look mister, I don't know who you are, but this is between me and my daughter so you better leave," I threatened.

"No Renee, he is _not_ living. This is as much Edward's apartment as it is mine," Bella yelled.

"Bella, please just let him go! Mike can buy you a much better place than this. He already has. I spent some time at your house in Malibu, it's perfect. Please listen to me. Mike is so sorry. There is not a single day when he doesn't beat himself up for what happened. It was not his fault honey. That Jessica tramp had been after him for a long time and she forced herself on him in order to ruin your wedding," I replied as calm as I could be.

This was not the time to lose my temper. I needed to win Bella back, even if it meant making her feel guilty.

"That's not what it looked like mom. You did not see what I saw. He was participating as much as she was. He betrayed me," she told me, but I could sense that I was winning the battle.

"No honey, please listen. He only responded because he is a man, but you are the only person he's ever loved. Did you know that he has tried to kill himself several times since you left him? Bella, he can't live without you, you are the world to him, and I know there will never be anyone better than him for you. Do you want to live with his death on your conscience?" I bargained with her.

"That is enough. I will not stand here and let you manipulate Bella like that," the scum in the boxer shorts spat.

"Look Bella, he is just afraid that he is not good enough for you. He knows that and he will try everything to make you stay with him," I told Bella while ignoring the half naked idiot.

"You are right. Bella is too good for me, for anyone. She is so special. I can only hope to be good enough for her. I know that. But I also know that Mike is definitely not good for her. He treated her like shit on their wedding. How could you possibly think he is best for her?" he asked with an incredulous look on his face.

"I know he has made mistakes, but Mike has loved Bella for many years. No one knows her the way he does. He loves her so much that he never went against her morals, waiting to sleep with her until their wedding night, and you robbed him of that. He is a much better man that you could ever be because even knowing that Bella is no longer the innocent girl he once knew, he is willing to forget all of that and get back with her. He is a true gentleman."

"I am in love with Edward," Bella whispered.

"What?" I asked.

"I said that I am in love with Edward," she told me with more determination this time.

"I have never loved anyone the way I love Edward, and even if I could forgive Mike, I would never go back to him. I don't love him, and I never have," she told me.

"Bella, I think you're confused. Look, I know that you have been through a lot these past few months, and that you're not thinking clearly. You and Mike belong together. You are killing him. Could you at least hear him out?" I begged.

"I will hear him out mom, but it does not change things. I wish you would give Edward a chance. He is a great person. I have never met someone as good as him. It is me who thinks I am not worthy of him," she tried to reason.

I had to hand it to her, I had no idea she would put up such a fight, but I had won this battle. I was so happy that I would pretend to like this scum if that's what it took.

"Alright," I finally responded. "You give Mike a chance to explain things, and I'll try and get to know Edward better while I am here. Do you mind having me for a few days?" I asked.

"Do I have any choice?" she asked.

"It hurts me that you can be so mean to me. I am your mother Bella. I better leave. Mike offered me a place to stay, and I don't feel welcomed here," I said in a low voice as I turned around to leave.

"Mom, you don't have to go," she called after me.

"It's alright Bella. I just hope that you don't wake up one day and regret all of this. I'll call you later to tell you where to meet Mike. You can't expect him to humiliate himself by coming here."

"Fine, I will meet him anywhere he wants. Bye mom," she said as she closed the door.

Yes! I danced in satisfaction as I left her apartment. I knew that she couldn't resist a few tears. I quickly grabbed my cell phone from my purse and dialed Mike.

"_Hello?"_ Mike answered.

"It worked!" I exclaimed.

"_Excellent. I will pick you up around the corner,_" he told me before hanging up the phone.

One day Bella, one day you will realize that I am the best mother you could ever have.

One day you will thank me for all of this.

----

**BPOV**

"What were you thinking agreeing to see Mike like that, Bella?" Edward asked as soon as I closed the door.

"I have to see him Edward. I couldn't live with myself if he killed himself because of me," I told him as a few tears ran down my face.

"Don't you see he is using your mother to manipulate you?" he asked in an exasperated tone.

"I do see that, but it has to be done. What's the worst that could happen?" I asked.

"You know that I love you, and you only, but if forgiving Mike is all it takes for him to desist on his ideas of taking his own life, then I will let him know that I have forgiven him. I really have. I don't harbor any ill feelings against him," I explained.

"What could go wrong? What is he's the killer Bella? I don't know what I would do with myself if he hurt you," he yelled.

I was shocked. This was our first fight and Edward had never yelled at me in such a way.

"Would you calm down?" I asked "Mike was cleared. He is not the murderer. I'm just going to talk to him, that's all," I yelled back.

"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to yell like that. I'm just worried about your safety," he told me as he closed the gap between us and took me in his arms.

"I am sorry too, for everything. My mom had no right to treat you like that. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I don't want to lose you," I told him as a new batch of tears ran freely down my cheeks.

He kissed me very softly and sat me on his lap once he was seated on the couch. We held each other for a while before the door bell rang again.

"We better put on some clothes before answering," I suggested.

"Just a minute," Edward called as we made our way to the bedroom. He quickly threw on a white wife beater and a pair of jeans that hung low on his hips.

I went to the bathroom to freshen up and get my hair under control while he went to answer the door.

"Is everything alright?" Emmett asked in a concerned voice.

"I heard yelling, but Rose thought it would be best if we waited before coming in," he explained.

"Everything's alright, Em," I heard Edward explain as I came out of the bedroom. I had put on one of Edward's t-shirts and a pair of jeans, my unruly hair was on a pony tail.

"It was my mom. She decided to come in for a visit," I explained.

"What?" Rose asked from the door.

"How did she get your address?" she asked. Rose knew that I had refused to give my address to my parents, trying to avoid a situation like this morning. Only this morning was much worse because Edward had been here and it was obvious what we had been doing.

"I have no clue. It doesn't matter. The fact is that she was here and she treated Edward like shit while begging me to get back with Mike."

"She is unbelievable. I have never met your mother, but I really don't like her," Rose told me.

"I don't like her either. Why is she treating my little brother like shit anyways?" Emmett asked. He was really upset about everything.

"I don't care what she thinks, Em, I love Bella, and there is nothing her mother can say or do to change that," Edward added.

"You are not going to see Mike, right?" Rose asked concerned.

"I don't think I have much of a choice," I shrugged.

"You don't owe him anything Bella. They are both trying to make you feel guilty so that they can manipulate you. I thought we buried that Bella more than a year ago," Rose continued.

"We did, and no matter what they say, I am not going back to Mike. I just need to let him know that I forgive him, and that he needs to move on just like I have moved on," I explained.

"I don't like this Bella. He was a suspect. What if he does something to you?" Emmett asked.

"I agree with you Emmett, but Bella won't listen," Edward added.

"Look, I don't appreciate being teamed up like this. I have made the decision to talk to him and you guys are not changing my mind," I said in an exasperated tone.

"Why do you have to be so darn stubborn Bella? We are all just concerned about your safety," Rose said.

"I know, I'm sorry. But please, you have to understand that I need to give this closure so that I can move on once and for all. I want to be happy with Edward. I want my family to accept him and I want this whole thing with Mike to be over," I explained.

"Fine, but please let me and Alice go with you, and at least keep an eye on you from a distance. Mike gives me the creeps, I don't trust him," Rose begged.

"I guess that is reasonable," I gave up.

"Yes, and if something happens, the girls can call me and I will be there if you need me," Edward added.

I could tell that he was still very reluctant about me meeting Mike face to face, but he was trying hard to let me do what I needed to do and I really appreciated that.

"Thank you, baby," I told him.

"Let me call Alice and ask her to come over. We need to come up with a good plan," Rose told us as she went back to her apartment.

"I think that Bella should get to choose were they meet, just in case," Emmett added.

Half an hour later Alice and Jasper arrived and we started discussing our plan. Jasper had a lot of ideas, he didn't like this at all, but just like Edward, he was willing to let me do it, as long as they were all nearby, just in case.

After hours of going back and forward we decided that I would meet Mike at the DC Mall. The guys wanted an area that would be full of witnesses in case Mike tried anything. I thought it was kind of silly, I really didn't think Mike was capable of hurting a fly. He had always been nice to me.

"Rose and Alice will be a couple of feet from you. Mike has never met any of us, and he won't suspect a thing," Jasper told us.

"Us guys will be farther away, all at a different location, but with our cell phones ready in case something happens," he continued.

"I really hate wasting everyone's time like that. Everything will be fine," I said.

"Nonsense Bella, your safety and well being matters to all of us, you are now part of our family and we protect each other," Emmett added.

"Alright. Thank you!" I told them.

Edward and I went to the kitchen to cook for everyone while Jasper and Emmett played Wii, and Rose and Alice discussed wedding plans. Rose and Emmett were getting married in June, and they were going crazy with all the preparations.

After dinner, everyone left their separate ways as Edward and I chilled in the living room.

"What a day," Edward sighed.

"I know. I really am sorry about my mother. She is so wrong about you. I feel so bad for everything she said," I apologized once again.

"Bella, please stop apologizing. This was not your fault. I'm sure your mother will come around once Mike stops filling her head with stuff. I am confident that I can win her over," he told me as he caressed my face.

"If you give her half of that dazzling smile of yours I think she will be putty in your hands," I assured him.

We talked for a little while before deciding to take a shower and then head to bed. We were both emotionally exhausted from our long day.

I laid in bed watching Edward sleep. He looked so peaceful and so handsome. I really felt lucky to have him, and to have such great friends, friends that had become my family, a family that cared more for me than my biological one.

I then thought about Mike. I couldn't believe that he had tried to kill himself. I truly felt sorry for him. I was not going to be able to fully move on with my life until I cleared everything with him, perhaps with time, we could once again be friends.

I thought of all the possibilities as I drifted to sleep. Tomorrow I would call my mother and tell her how I wanted to meet with Mike.

----

**?POV**

I was glad that I was finally being released from the hospital. I had been there for months and my recovery had been long and painful. The only thing that kept me going was my own personal guarding angel, Agent Lamb.

She had not left my side from the moment I was brought in. I knew she was just doing her job, but the way she looked at me did not escape me. She was always encouraging me to work harder on my rehabilitation, and she was the first one to console me when things became too hard.

Now I was being taken to a secured location. Not even my family had any idea that I was still alive. The hospital staff kept telling me what a miracle it was that I had survived, and even more that I was leaving the hospital in such great condition. I could still walk, I had full use of all of my extremities, I could still talk, all of this a miracle considering all that had been done to me.

When I first woke up from the coma, I had been so confused. I had no idea what had happened, and I kept having a recurring nightmare of being trapped and not being able to save my life.

I should have been thankful that I was alive, but it was not easy. I had no idea who had tried to murdered me or why. The FBI kept questioning me in hopes that I would be able to identify who had done this to me, but I never got the chance to look at the asshole.

I knew it was a man, and I was fairly sure I could recognize his voice, but I was so worried that it would not be enough, that I kept that to myself in hopes that I would remember something else.

"We are here," Agent Lamb told me as she drove the car into a covered garage.

"Where exactly are we?" I asked as she helped me out of the car.

"We are in Annapolis, at my grandparent's old farm," she explained.

"I think you will like it here. It's very peaceful, and there are trails and such that we can take advantage of to further work on your rehabilitation."

I had been stabbed more than twenty times. Most of the wounds were to my chest and neck, but I had also been stabbed in the legs, arms, knees, and back. When I first woke, they were unsure if I would ever be able to walk.

I worked my hardest to recover the use of my legs, but I was still weak, and I needed to continue with the rehabilitation in order to fully recover.

"That sounds good," I said in a sad voice.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I am. I just wish I could talk to my family, tell my mother that I am alive. I hate to think of all the suffering I am causing her," I explained.

"Listen Gage, I know this is hard, but it is for your safety and theirs. That killer left you for dead, and you are the only one who could identify him," she said in a soothing voice.

"How could I identify him if I never got a chance to look at him? He had a ski mask for crying out loud," I yelled.

I saw her flinch and I suddenly felt very guilty. I had so many things to thank her for, and she did not deserve to be treated in such a way.

"Agent Lamb, I'm sorry," I whispered. I kept on expecting her to get fed up with me and just slap me across the face or ask to be replaced.

"Please just call me Charley, and I understand why you're so angry. I would be the same or worse if I was in your shoes. You are handling all of this very well. I am so proud of all the progress you have made so far," she told me as she winked at me.

Was she flirting with me? I really liked her, even more that I had liked Bella.

_Bella!_

I wondered if she was alright. Agent Lamb had told me that she had taken my death pretty hard, and that they had her on surveillance in case the killer went after her.

"You are too good to me," I finally responded.

"Nonsense! Here is your room, and I will be sleeping right across from you. Agents Miller and Davey will be staying on the lower floor just in case, but I am pretty sure you are a hundred percent safe here," she told me as she showed me to my room.

"Please make yourself at home, and let me know if you need anything at all," she told me.

"Anything at all?" I asked with a wink. I must have embarrassed her because she turned pink and quickly left the room.

I decided to lay in bed for a while. Any type of activity caused me so much exhaustion that I needed to take a nap afterwards, but today for some reason I couldn't fall asleep. I kept thinking of Bella. The day of the attempt I was going to ask her to just be my friend. It broke my heart to see her try so hard to like me, and I had tried very hard myself, but I knew that we were better off as friends.

Had she moved on? Was she happy? Was she safe? I wanted nothing more than to help catch the killer. From what I was told, she had been in a lot of danger, because they were convinced the killer tried to murder me in an attempt to get to her, but after waiting for the killer to make another move for months, they were questioning all of their theories and where now leaning towards the first theory.

They thought that he was a serial killer that chose victims at random, and that his next victim would be in some other state. I hated the fact that it gave me a sense of relief, but although I was not in love with Bella, I was concerned about her safety and I didn't want anything to happen to her.

I was just about to drift to sleep when I heard a soft knock on the door.

"Gage? Are you awake?" Agent Lamb asked.

"Yes Charley, please come in," I told her as I sat up on the bed.

"I'm sorry about earlier. It was not professional and I don't want things to be awkward between you and me," she told me, her eyes on the floor.

"There is nothing to apologize for. I have to be honest with you, I kind of like you," I told her as I saw a small smile creep onto her lips.

I was developing feelings for Charley and I didn't know if it was because I felt as if she was my savior or because she was truly the woman for me.

----

**AN: As you can see we are back to the drama!! How many of you thought that Gage was the mysterious witness? Let me know!**


	16. The Sound of Goodbye

**AN: I do not own Twilight, no profit is made.**

**Hello everyone. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. This chapter is very important; there are a few hints as to how this story will end. I would love to hear all of your theories.**

**Jagga-Love, thanks so much for all your work. Have a safe flight!!!**

**----**

**BPOV**

I made arrangements to meet Mike the following Saturday. I was glad to have a little over a week to prepare myself for the visit.

Everyone seemed to be on edge. I could understand it to a certain extent; after all they all seemed to be suspicious of Mike and were afraid that he would try to hurt me when we were finally face to face. I had my own reservations but for different reasons.

I was certain that Mike had nothing to do with the murders. We had spent a considerable amount of our lives together and I knew he was not capable of such things. Sure he did a horrible thing to me, but you could hardly call kissing another woman murder.

My reservations were based on the fact that things were very different since we last saw each other. I had never thought possible for me to move on, but I had, and in a way that made me question why I had been with Mike in the first place.

I found true love with Edward. He was my everything. My body and my entire being called to his in a way that seemed almost obsessive, and definitely possessive. The best part was that he reacted to me the same way and I could see the sincerity and the passion of the love he felt for me with each look he gave me, with every kiss, with every touch.

"Pensive?" Edward asked, successfully taking me out of my internal reverie.

"I was thinking about our love. I am so lucky to have you," I explained with a smile.

"I love you too Isabella, with all my heart."

"We just brought up the last boxes and everyone just left," he said.

"Already? Why did they leave?" I asked.

"They were just trying to give us some alone time after spending an entire day with us moving boxes," he explained.

"I guess it's time to unpack," I commented with a grunt. I hated moving.

"I think I would prefer to christen our new bedroom. What do you think?" he asked while giving me his sexy crooked smile.

"I don't know. There's so much to unpack," I teased.

Edward closed the gap between us and picked me up as he crashed his lips against mine. I moaned in pleasure as he left a trail of kisses from my jaw to the side of my neck.

"I want you now," he stated.

"I'm all yours, baby."

----

We spent the rest of the weekend unpacking and "christening" every single room, area, and surface of our new penthouse. I didn't think there could be anything that could have made me happier than those moments we shared. I could definitely see myself spending the rest of my life with Edward.

Unfortunately, it was now Sunday evening and we were both preparing ourselves for our return to work the next morning.

"Are you ok?" Edward asked as he sat by me on the bed.

"Yes, I am just a little sad about returning to work. I'm not going to see you much. I'm going to miss you," I told him with sincerity. It was embarrassing to admit, but Edward could read me like no one else and there was no sense in lying to him.

"Oh baby, it'll be alright, you'll see. I am also going to miss you very much, but I intend to spend every single second of my spare time with you," he replied.

"I love you Edward."

"And I love you, my sweet Angel. Sweet Dreams," he whispered in my ear, sending a volt of electricity all through my body.

We cuddled that night as we did every night, but this time there was a real need to feel the closeness of our bodies. Getting back into the work routine was going to be hard, but what scared me the most was ruining what we had because of work schedules and added responsibilities.

The next morning I headed to work with a smile on my face. Edward had gotten up extra early so that he could serve me breakfast in bed, and so that he could pack me some gourmet sandwiches for lunch. He was one hundred percent and unequivocally the best man in the world.

I was almost at my office when I was halted to a stop by Irina, the office's official gossip queen.

"Well look who it is. Back from the dead I see," she stated with a smirk.

"Hello Irina. How are you?" I asked politely.

"I am wonderful, but of course I did not have a three month vacation," she said in a jealous tone filled with crocodile politeness. Only Alice and our boss were aware of why I was out, so I could imagine all the gossip that my absence must have created.

"I'm glad you are doing well," I replied as I tried to wave her off.

"Not so fast. Why were you out so long? Last time I checked you were not pregnant, and as far as I can tell, you have no family," she spat.

"Not that it is any of your business, but I do have family, and I was out for personal reasons. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do," I replied as I tried my hardest not to be overcome with anger.

"Some people just have all the luck in the world. If I would have been absent for even a few days I would have gotten a pink slip, but you and Mr. Capri must be very special to be able to take off just like that."

"Mr. Carpi was out too? Is he sick?" I asked with a little bit of concern. Mr. Capri was actually John Green, but everyone called him Mr. Capri because of the way his pants fit.

We weren't friends, in fact we ever hardly spoke. He was very uncomfortable when speaking with anyone and you could tell he liked to stay to himself. Alice thought he just needed a good makeover so that his inner personality would come out. She hated how he always wore extra tight Dodger's pants that were too short, checkered long sleeved shirts that looked a few sized too big for him, and ultra thick brown glasses that had been fixed with duck tape at the front and at one of the sides.

"Sick? No, he just took off just like you did and no one said anything about it either," she stated in envy.

"Irina, perhaps he had some personal reasons just like I did. I don't think it is any of our business."

"It's just ridiculous. You are both back today and you both get your jobs as if nothing ever happened," she yelled.

"Oh, so now I see why you're so upset. Whose job were you trying to steal? Was it mine, or perhaps Mr. Green's?" I asked with a smirk. She turned around and stormed off.

"I see Irina took care of your welcome party," Alice laughed from the entrance to her office. I hadn't realized that everyone in the office had witnessed our exchange.

"She'll get over it. She wasn't good enough for any of the jobs anyway. Don't worry Bella, she is just mad because she knows she is five seconds from getting a pink slip," Ashley Love, Alice's secretary said.

"I think everyone should get back to work," Alice called with an authoritative tone as everyone turned back to what they were doing before my arrival. She winked at Ashley as we made our way into her office.

"Well today is Monday and you know what that means for us," Alice said with a laugh. Mondays were our busiest day of the week and it required for both of us to work together the entire day.

----

I got home a little after seven to find Edward fast asleep on the couch. I decided to let him sleep and I tip-toed as quietly as possible to our bedroom.

"Welcome home, love. How was your day?" he asked startling me.

"It was exhausting but good. It feel nice to be out of the house and to be busy doing what I love," I replied.

We chatted a little about our day. Edward was exhausted with all the patients he had to see. He had worked through lunch so he could make it home around the same time I did. I would have to lecture him later about missing lunch and working too hard later.

----

The rest of the week went by in a blur. Edward and I settled into a comfortable routine and things were starting to get a little easier. By Friday we were so exhausted that we cancelled our dinner plans at P.F. Chang's with the gang, opting to spend time at our apartment with them.

That night we went over Jasper's strategy for my meeting with Mike several times. He wanted to make sure we had all angles covered in case something happened. I thought the extra precautions were silly, but went along with them anyway because I knew that it made Edward and the rest of them feel better.

Alice and Jasper stayed over so that we could get an early start the next morning. Everyone was so anxious and I felt extremely guilty for making them feel that way.

The next morning after calling my mother one more time to confirm the details, we left my apartment. We went over the plan another several times before we boarded the red line train towards China Town. From there, we were going to take the blue line and get off at the DC Mall. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett would be coming by car just in case, but the girls and I would be taking the train.

"Bella, are you sure you are going to be ok meeting him alone?" Alice asked.

"Yes. Besides I would hardly call it meeting him alone as you guys are going to be all around me."

"True, but we're not going to be able to listen to the conversation and that worries me," Rose added.

"Please don't be so worried. Mike is harmless. I really would prefer to just keep the conversation between Mike and I. I just don't want Edward to be upset by it," I tried to explain.

"Just please promise us that the moment he makes you feel uncomfortable with anything you will give the signal for us to approach," Alice begged.

"I promise," I said trying to assure them.

We exited the train and I waved Alice and Rose goodbye at the train platform. I knew that once I made it outside it would be really easy for Mike to spot me, so the girls would be exiting first and going into position and I would be leaving the station as soon as the next train came.

As soon as the next train came I started to make my way towards the exit. I took the escalator that would leave me right at the Mall and I was suddenly overcome with nerves. _What if he wanted to get back together? What if I hurt him even worse and I caused his death? _

My mom had mentioned how he had tried to take his life several times after our wedding. It did not seem like Mike to be that way, but I guess our separation had affected him a lot.

Once outside of the train station I started my walk towards the Mall area heading towards the Lincoln Memorial, the place I would be meeting Mike. As soon as I approached the massive monument I spotted him. Many memories filled my mind. Memories of all the times we spent together. Memories of happier times visiting the same monument.

As I approached him, I took on his ragged appearance. His hair was matted and greasy, his face unshaven for who knows how long, and his clothes looked like the iron had gone on strike. My heart filled with anguish. _Was I the reason he looked so bad?_

"Hello Bella, it's so nice to see you. You look more beautiful than ever," Mike said as soon as I stood in front of him.

"Hello Mike, it's nice to see you as well. How are you?" I asked.

"I guess you could say I have been better, but just seeing you makes me feel really good. I have missed you," he said.

"Mike, my mom said that you have been suicidal. What's going on?" I asked trying to go directly to the point. I hadn't missed Mike, I no longer had feelings for him, and I did not want to tell him in a way that would make him feel worse.

"I'm sorry that you had to hear that, Bella. I'm honestly just lost without you. I feel so bad for what happened on the day that was supposed to be the happiest day of our lives. I am also disappointed that you seemed to have moved on so fast," he explained.

"I guess my mother must have told you about Edward," I whispered.

"Is that his name? This is so hard. I never thought I would see you with another man. You were supposed to be mine forever, and now you're not," Mike said and I sensed a hint of anger.

"Mike please, listen to me. I'm sorry that you have been feeling so bad. I want you to know that I forgive you. In fact I forgave you a long time ago. Things can never go back to the way they used to be. I am in love with someone else," I pleaded.

"You forgive ME?" he whispered-yelled as he started to chuckle, the expression in his face terrifying.

"You fucking dirty whore. It wouldn't surprise me if you planned the whole wedding fiasco with Jessica so that you could escape with another man. What the hell happened to you?" he retorted.

I flinched at his tone of voice. He sounded extremely angry and he had never spoken to me in such a way.

"Do you really think you can get rid of me that easily?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

"What are you talking about?" I asked as panic filled me.

I knew I should be giving the signal for my friends to come over but this turn of events was so unexpected that it had left me frozen in place.

"Let me show you some pictures Bella," he said as he pulled out a manila envelope.

He opened the envelope and removed the pictures. I gasped in horror at the content.

**EPOV**

Bella spent almost three hours talking to that creep Mike. Even from the distance I could tell that there was something off about him, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. My anger was increasing with every minute she spent with him. It's not that I was jealous or anything, but I was extremely nervous about what he could do or say to her.

Mike and her mother had been trying to manipulate Bella and I knew that their goal was for Bella to get back with Mike. I was disgusted with her mother. She was so blind. She didn't seem to have Bella's best interest at heart.

Bella never gave us indication that he was making her uncomfortable, but her body language told us otherwise. In more than one occasion Jasper had to stop me from grabbing her. She had looked so frightened at some point, but then her expression changed to a hard one, and I had never seen Bella wear that expression before. It was as if she was heartless and cold.

As soon as she started to walk away from Mike I headed towards her. I needed to make sure that she was ok. At least Mike had not tried to abduct her or do something worse like we all feared. She spotted me and gave me a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Bella, love, are you ok?" I asked her as soon as I was within reach.

"Yes, I'm fine. Can we go home now?" she asked as she hugged me.

Her hug left me breathless. She hugged me in such a strong way it almost felt desperate.

"Why don't I catch the train with you girls? I was really worried about you and I need to make sure you're really ok," I suggested.

She simply nodded as we headed towards Alice and Rose. Jasper and Emmett had already met with them and I could see that they all seemed to be as concerned as I was.

Everyone asked Bella how it went and she told them that things went well.

"Mike understood that he needs to move on. Things are going to be fine," she said.

We asked her a few more questions but it was obvious that she was not ready to talk, so we decided to give her some space. I would ask her later though because something wasn't right.

After everyone made it to our apartment, Bella and I busied ourselves cooking lunch for everyone. We spent lunch talking about work and other trivial things, never once going back to the conversation with Mike.

I could see that Bella was trying really hard to join in on the conversation but her mind seemed far off. As soon as lunch was over, she excused herself saying that she needed a shower.

"What the hell is going on Edward? Bella isn't telling the truth and something is bothering her," Alice asked.

"I don't know Alice, but I am really concerned about her. I wish she would open up," I sighed.

"We just need to give her some time. I know that Mike was not up to good, and whatever he told Bella must have made an impression, but we need for her to be ready to open up," Jasper suggested.

"What could he have told her?" Rose asked.

"I have a feeling that he told her he would kill himself if Bella continued with Edward," Emmett deducted.

"I don't know if that's what he told her, but something is not right about him, the dude is creepy. Do you guys have any idea what he showed Bella?" Jasper asked.

"I asked her on the train and she said that it was just pictures of the house he purchased in Malibu for them and of some of the things he would have given her if they would have stayed together," Alice explained.

"That does not make any sense, she looked terrified," Jasper exclaimed.

"We didn't believe her either, but we didn't think it was the time or the place to discuss it," I explained.

"Part of me still believes that we made a mistake, we should have given the police a heads up, or at least mentioned it to Bella's friend Jacob," Rose said.

"I still think that it was best not to involve the police, because if he has anything to do with the killings we would have tipped him off," Jasper explained.

We spoke for another half hour and I started to worry about Bella. She hadn't returned from her bath and I wanted to check on her. I asked everyone to give me some time alone with Bella and I headed to the bathroom as soon as everyone was gone.

I opened the door to my bedroom and I found Bella sitting on our bed.

"How was your bath?" I asked as I approached her. I sat right next to her and I wrapped my hands around her shoulders, that's when I realized that she was shaking.

"Bella, what's wrong, baby? What did that asshole say?" I asked concerned

"I'm ok Edward. I would rather not talk about it right now," she whispered.

"Alright, I can understand that. What would you like to do?" I asked. As worried as I was about her, I knew her well enough to know that she wasn't ready to talk. I was going to do whatever it took to make her comfortable.

"I want to make love to you. I want to feel you inside me. I want to hug you, and kiss you. I need you Edward," she said so softly I barely heard her.

I cupped her cheek in my hand and I moved her head so that she could face me. I intended to kiss her, but I was startled by the tears in her eyes. Something was really wrong and I didn't know what to do, but for the time being, I would play along with her and pretend, because that's what she wanted to do and I couldn't deny her.

Very softly I wiped the tears from her face with my fingers and I gave her a sweet, short kiss.

"Do you mind if I turn on the iHome? I would like to listen to some music," she asked.

"Sure baby, go ahead."

She stood up from the bed and made her way to the iHome system with wobbly legs. She turned it on and soon the room was filled with the notes from Blue October, one of her favorite bands.

_Somewhere, far away from here  
I saw stars, stars that I could reach, yeah  
It was a midnight, a silent twilight  
That fell down, beyond the ocean beach _

Bella made her way back to the where I was sitting on the bed and placed both of her hands on my shoulders, giving me a gentle push so that I was lying on my back on the bed. She then climbed on the bed and sat above me, straddling my waist.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me," she whispered in my ear.

_I assemble all the sand that cover wedding beaches  
To build a castle so your mom would have a place to stay  
Behind the water slide and down the hill where heaven reaches  
Land and time is left to float away, yeah _

She grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me towards her with force and passion, crashing her lips against mine. She began to kiss me in a feverish way, with such urgency that it both excited me and broke my heart. This was different from all the times we have made love. It was as if her body was trying to convey a message that she was too afraid to tell me.

_So rest assured I have the key to every opening  
To every wishing well that's deep enough to dream, dream  
I want to show you just how fascinating kissing is  
When earth collides with all the space between, yeah _

I placed my hand around her neck, bringing her body closer to mine, but once again she pushed me down, seating straight while still straddling my waist. She then removed her shirt, an effortless movement and I groaned at the sight of her. I quickly wrapped my hands around her torso and I flipped us over so that she was now lying in her back while I straddled her waist.

_I'm reaching farther than I ever have before  
Leaving all who broke your heart upon the shore  
I may be some sort of crazy  
We may be some sort of crazy  
But I swear on everything I have and more_

"Please baby, I need you," Bella begged as I placed butterfly kisses all over her chest, finally latching on to one of her erect nipples. I moved back and out of the way so that I could remove her jeans and panties. After removing mine I laid over her, resting my weight on my elbow as I sucked on her neck, making my way towards her lips.

"I love you my sweet Angel," I whispered between kisses.

_So never look behind you, spooky people bring you down  
The world is ending there's a party by the bay  
I'll wear my suit and tie when I am  
I am toasting to the way you put that smile upon my face, yeah_

I realized as I kissed Bella that there were tears running down her face. I could taste the saltiness mixed with her own sweet taste as I ran my tongue over her lips. I paused for a moment and I looked her in the eyes wanting to make sure that she wanted me to continue. As if reading my mind she thrust her hips forward, her heated center rubbing against my painful erection.

"I need you in me, NOW," she moaned.

_Fill up the air balloon and ride with me  
Yeah hell is jealous of the rain, rain  
Make love like time and space is ending  
While befriending fate's alluring way of putting us to shame_

I entered her slowly, wanting to savor each inch of her. Something was telling me to take it slow. I began to move my hips as I moved in and out of her, her moans making me grunt in desire and love. She stared to move her hips in a circular motion, trying to move faster, but I held to her hips while pulling her upwards so that I could go in deeper while I held her in place.

"I want to savor this moment, Bella," I told her not realizing just what I was saying.

_I'm reaching farther than I ever have before  
Leaving all who broke your heart upon the shore  
I may be some sort of crazy  
We may be some sort of crazy  
But I swear on everything I have and more_

I continued to make love to my angel while I observed all the different emotions painted across her face. I saw love, passion, but I also so a lot of pain. My stomach had that tightness that comes when you are expecting something bad to happen and although I loved the way we were making love, I felt like crying.

"Please forgive me," Bella whispered so softly I barely heard her, confirming my worst fears.

_You make the sound of pulling heaven down  
You brought the rain's romantic pour  
You make the sound  
You make the sound  
Of pulling heaven down_

We continued making love to each other as Bella's eyes never left mine. She seemed to be trying to memorize my face while also trying to engrave the magic of our love making. I continued trusting into her until neither of us could hold our orgasm any longer so with one quick movement I brought us both over the edge.

_I'm reaching farther than I ever have before  
(Tired of wasting time)  
Leaving all who broke your heart upon the shore  
(tired of wasting time)  
I may be some sort of crazy  
We may be some sort of crazy  
But I swear on everything I have and more  
(go go go go)_

Bella held onto me tight as we both rode our wave of passion, our bodies sleek with sweat. I looked into her eyes once more and she broke down, heart breaking sobs escaping her while her entire small frame shook in despair. I wanted to tell her that I was going to be there for her no matter what, I felt the urge to reassure her of my love for her. I wanted to scream at her that she could not give up on us, life was not a forever thing and we were wasting time playing along with everyone else's games.

_I'm reaching farther than I ever have before  
(Tired of wasting time)  
Leaving all who broke your heart upon the shore  
(Tired of wasting time)  
I may be some sort of crazy  
We may be some sort of crazy  
But I swear on everything I have and more  
(go go go go)_

"Bella, love, please talk to me baby. What's wrong?" I asked, not able to mask the fear I felt.

"Edward I love you so much. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me," she managed to say between sobs. _Why did she keep repeating that?_

"I will always remember your love, and the way that you have cared for me. I know that there will never be anything this grand, this deep in my life. Thank you for loving me when I didn't deserve it," she continued.

"What's going on?" I asked in confusion.

"Life is not fair Edward. You have to take what you are dealt and do with it the best you can with no regrets. I hope one day you can forgive me. Please know that you are the most important person in my life and all I do is because I want you safe," she told me, her voice turning cold and distant.

"Did that asshole threaten you? Nothing is going to happen, baby, I am here to protect you," I told her.

She gave me a small smile and for a second I saw my Bella, my angel, but the moment was too brief. I tightened the muscles of my stomach trying to hold back the grieve that wanted to take over. I could feel my heart shattering into a thousand little pieces. I had now a broken heart.

"Never forget that I love you," she whispered.

"Bella, why does it feel like you're saying goodbye?" I asked in fear. The look on her face told me that she had made a decision and I wasn't sure I wanted to hear it. All the while inside my head I kept begging that this was not true, that I was just imagining things. Without Bella, there was no point to my life.

"Because I am."

----

**AN: The song on this chapter is Sound of Pulling Heaven Down by Blue October. This chapter is very special because that is the song that inspired my story. If you get a chance, please go to You Tube and search for the song, it's really beautiful.**

**The reason the song is here is because Edward realizes that Bella is in turmoil, there is a war waging in her hear, and he knows he is losing her. He is trying to put all those emotions into their love making while Bella is trying to say goodbye.**


	17. Guess Who

**AN: S Meyer's own everything twilight, no profit is made or intended.**

**Hello everyone! I wanted to get this chapter today since it had been almost a week since my last update. Unfortunately, my wonderful and talented Beta is on vacation, so I apologize in advance if this chapter is not up to quality with the rest. If you think it was horrible and would like me to wait to update until she returns, please let me know.**

**Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews, they make my made each and every time. I love you all!!**

**----**

**MPOV**

I was walking on cloud nine. Things could not have turned out more perfect. I loved how people were constantly underestimating me, and I always came on top. I knew that I could get away with anything and everything, my plan was flawless.

I loved the look on Bella's face as I showed her the pictures of Jessica, and Gage after I had killed them both. The fear in her was so intense I wanted to lick it off her face, to taste it. I wasn't worried about her telling the police about me because she was such a romantic fool. She wanted to protect that asshole with everything she had and she did not realize that she had just traded her life for his. Not that I was planning to spare him.

As soon as I walked towards the Lincoln memorial I could see the two bitches that had befriended Bella. To the other side were the asshole that she was currently dating and the other two monkeys. How pathetic! Did they really think they could fool me?

First of all, they had no idea that my partner was strategically placed so that he could shoot any one of them who dare to intervene in my conversation with Bella. Lucky for them, I was not stupid enough to grab her right then and there.

I was in a mood to play games. I wanted to savor each second of the torture I had planned for Bella. This was my prize for being so patient. I took pleasure in knowing that all of them had been pawns in my sick little game, including my idiot partner.

Bella seemed so sure of herself when she told me she forgave me, what a fucking joke. I wish I had a camera to take a picture of her face when I told her what I wanted to do to her. I told her all about the murders, and how all of those people had died because of her. It was all her fault. She was a disgrace and all she touched went to mud.

I explained that I had someone pointing a sniper gun at her lover boy so she either heard me out or I would have him shot dead in an instant. I explained that there was no need for anyone else to die. She was the one who betrayed me and it could all end with her.

She begged me for some time to say goodbye and I told her that she had until midnight tonight to do whatever she wanted to do, but that she better be out of her apartment building before midnight or all of her friends would die just like poor Gage.

The instructions were simple. Be in front of your apartment building, no luggage, no boyfriend before midnight and she would be picked up by my partner. She made me promise in return that I would not hurt her fuck buddy, and I told her of course I wouldn't, but I fucking lied.

I gave my partner all of the instructions and now all that was left was for me to set things up in a way that after I was done with Bella, my partner would take all the blame. After all, he was the true serial killer, they just had no idea how many people he had killed. The sick bastard!

"Everything is re…re… ready boss," my partner said.

"Good boy. Now let's get this show on the road, shall we?" I asked.

"Ye…Ye… Yes boss," he replied like the miserable scumbag he was.

----

We arrived at her apartment building a few minutes later. I waited in the car while my partner canvassed the area, making sure the stupid FBI was no longer keeping surveillance. I had my driver move the car to a secluded area and I waited for my partner to return.

"The co… co…coast is cleeear," he said.

"Good, now listen to the plan. You are to pick up Bella and to bring her here to the car. Use force if necessary, but make sure not to attract too much attention. I am going to hide on the other side so that I can take care of her silly boyfriend," I instructed.

"Once you are in the car, you will get your chance to tell her why you are here, because once I get my hands on her it will be all about me and I don't want your shit to get in the middle of it. I will meet you at the warehouse in two hours. Now go, and please do not screw up, you know all that is at stake here," I continued as he nodded his head.

I moved quickly into position trying to stay in the dark. I had given instructions to Bella that she needed to be alone, but I knew her lover boy would not listen, and I was going to take advantage of that. Later, after she disappeared, I would offer my help to her family so that they would not suspect me.

I grinned in anticipation as I heard the building door open.

"Please Edward, do not follow me. It's not safe," she cried to him.

"What do you mean is not safe? What's going on Bella? Please talk to me baby, I can help you with whatever this is," he begged her.

"I am no longer your baby Edward. Get over it and leave me alone," she screamed at him. I had to hand it to Bella, she was never good at lying, but she would have won an Oscar for her performance tonight.

I watched in amusement as I saw the idiot's face fall in obvious pain. Bella had delivered a low blow that had left him speechless.

"Bella, please, you don't mean that," he begged. I had to hold my laughter at that point. How pathetic!

"Are you ready Isabella," I heard my partner ask. He even lost his stutter when he got into character. Hilarious!

"You?" she asked in disbelief.

"We don't have time for this now, let's go," he said as he pulled her arm. I took advantage of her confusion and Edward's to make my move.

"Over here," I yelled in a fake voice, and just like I envisioned it, Edward turned around to face me, confusion written all over his face since he could not see me from where he stood.

I quickly took one of my daggers out and I threw it at him, hitting him straight in the heart. Edward dropped instantly to the floor while Bella wailed in grief.

"Edward?" she cried in horror.

"No, not you too! He promised me he wouldn't hurt you. EDWARD!!!" She yelled before fainting.

**BPOV**

"You?" I cried in disbelief.

We don't have time for this now, let's go," Mr. Green ordered as he pulled on my arm.

I took one last glance at Edward, but he was facing away from me. Maybe it was for the best. The heartbreaking look on his face was killing me and eating at my resolve.

I was about to turn around when I saw Edward fall back, falling square into the ground, a dagger in his chest.

"Edward?" I cried in horror.

"No, not you too! He promised me he wouldn't hurt you. EDWARD!!!" I yelled before everything went dark.

----

I woke up as a nasty potent smelly towel had been placed under my nose. I sat up straight, it looked like I was in a car with someone. I looked around to try and orient myself when everything came back crashing into me.

The conversation with Mike.

Saying goodbye to Edward.

Edward following me out of the apartment building against my wishes.

Edward falling on the floor, a dagger in his heart.

"EDWARD!" I yelled as realization hit.

"Now Isabella, it really does no one any good for you to cry over him," I heard someone say to my left.

"Mr. Green? What are you doing here? What do you have to do with Mike?" I asked.

"You know, for someone so fucking smart, you really are stupid," he sneered.

"What do you mean? Why did you kill my Edward?" I asked n longer being able to hold my grief at bay.

"You can thank Mike for that one. See little Isabella, you belong to Mike, and anyone who get's in the middle of that is just as good as dead. Didn't you learn from Jessica, or from Gage?" he asked.

I have never had a single conversation with Mr. Green, but something about the way he talked to me seemed oddly familiar.

"Who are you?" I asked trying to make some sense of what was happening.

"Ah, so you finally realize th… th…that I am n…no…not who you th… th… think," he stuttered as I realized who he really was.

"James? James Huntington? Is that really you?" I asked in shock.

James had gone to High School with me, Mike, and Jessica. Everyone called him a nerd and made fun of him except for me. I always defended him and I had considered myself his friend.

"Yes," he simply replied as he gave me an amused look.

"Why are you doing this James? Why are you helping Mike? He was never your friend," I asked as I tried to make sense of all this ridiculousness.

"M…M…Mi…Mike is my bo…bo..boss. Bu… Bu… But I wanted to be there when he ki… ki… kills yooou because you were a very bad fri… fri… friend Isabella. You ignored me after w… w… we leeeft school. You let M… M… Mike hur… hur… hurt me," he screamed at me, his face red in anger.

"You left James. I had no idea where you went to. I didn't know Mike would hurt you. I'm sorry," I tried to beg. If I could get him to hear me out, maybe he would have the car turned around and take me to the police.

I felt so stupid for letting Mike manipulate me into leaving with him. I should have known after seeing those horrendous pictures that he would never keep his word. Now my Edward was dead and I no longer wanted to give myself to Mike on a silver platter so that he could play out his sick little game.

EDWARD! Was he dead? Did someone save him? I felt so guilty about what happened. This was all my fault.

"I'm going to enjoy when M… M… Mike kills you little by little. You failed me and now is your t… tu… turn to pay," he exclaimed as best as he could. His stuttering had always been a problem.

"Please James, don't do this. Please don't let Mike manipulate you into hurting more people. I was your friend, I always protected you. I really cared about you," I begged.

"Yo…You c a… ca… cared for me? You are a liar. I wa… was ju… ju… just so… som… someone you could use to ma… make yourself se… seemed like a sa… sa… saint. A pe… pet project. I ha… hate you," he yelled.

"I wa… was the one who thought M… M… Mike how to kill. I wa… was the one who suggested how to k… k… kill you bitch," he continued as all hope left me.

He had trained Mike. He was a killer. He would not be helping me. I thought I would scream and cry at the realization but suddenly I just wanted to give up.

The look of Edward's face as he lay in the ground unmoving kept hunting me. I could not even remember if he was breathing. If he was dead, then there was no reason for me to fight. If Edward was dead, then I should be dead too, I really deserved that, but more than anything, I knew I could not breath another second, I could not go on living another day when Edward was not here. He was my life.

I sob escaped my throat as I realized that there was no escaping my fate. I would not allow myself to survive this when Edward hadn't. I could only hope that there was a place out there where we could one day be reunited, a place where I would get a chance to ask him for forgiveness, a place where we could be together for the rest of eternity.

"We are he… here," James simply stated as he grabbed me forcefully by the arm and pulled me out of the car. All the fight that I had in me was now gone.

----

**Emmett POV**

I was concerned about Bella. All afternoon she had a distant look in her face. I was pretty sure that the Mike scumbag had said something to frighten her, but I had no idea what. If only I could be sure she was telling the truth about what he showed her.

I was positive that she had lied about the pictures. No one had such a horrific look on their face when looking at home pictures. Something was very wrong and I could not put my finger on it.

I would have to trust that Edward would be able to help Bella open up and tell us what really happened. If that asshole Mike threatened her or did anything to hurt Bella, I would be the first one in line to punch the crap out of him.

"Em, what are you thinking about?" Rose asked me as she sat on my lap.

"I am really concerned about Bella, Rose. Something is very wrong and I can't put my finger on it," I explained.

"I know. I am very concerned as well. She was not herself all afternoon and I could tell she was hiding something," Rose told me in a soft voice.

"What do you think she is hiding?" I asked. Rose was a lot more perceptive than I was, and I really hoped we could figure it out soon.

"I'm pretty sure Mike did not show her house pictures. I am also a hundred percent positive that he is manipulating her with something," she explained.

"Do you think he told her he would kill himself if she did not go back to him? Do you think she fell for that?" I asked perplexed. Bella knew that it was possible that Mike would try to use that to get her back, but she had assured us that she would not fall for his trap.

"No, I don't think that was it. I think it was something else. Something that would terrify her," Rose told me.

"Like what? I don't understand what could be more frightening?" I asked.

"Like hurting someone. EDWARD!" she screamed in horror.

"Do you think he would try to hurt Edward to get her back?" I asked in shock.

"I don't know Em, but I don't think he would stop at anything to try to get her back," Rose explained with a defeated look on her face.

"We should check on them," I told Rose. I was nervous about what she had concluded because it made sense.

"Let's give them time to figure this out on their own tonight. If she is in the same state tomorrow, then we will confront her with our suspicions," Rose suggested.

"I guess you are right," I sighed.

----

I was woken up by the sound of sirens. They seemed to be getting closer to us, and a cold sweat ran down my neck as I realized that they had parked right in front of our building.

"What's going on Emmett?" Rose asked, still groggy from sleep.

"I don't know babe, but I am going to head downstairs to check it out. Why don't you call Edward and Bella to see if they are ok?" I asked as I put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

I heard Rose pick up the phone as I headed out of our room. Although Bella and Edward lived in the same building that me and Rose did, they were no longer next door to us, and I was too curious to find out what was going on outside to personally go up to their floor and check on them.

I was waiting for the elevator when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around and I saw that it was Rose.

"Emmett, I was unable to get a hold of them. I'm really worried," she told me in a panicked voice.

"Me too," I whispered in fear as we took the elevator and headed downstairs.

As soon as the elevator doors opened I bolted for the exit. We made it outside and we were stopped by the crime scene yellow tape that I had seen so many times in TV, and most recently outside of Bella's old apartment door.

"What's going on?" I asked as a police officer walked pass me.

"Please sir, we ask that you return to your home. There is nothing to see here," he told us in an authoritative voice.

"NO! EDWARD!" I heard Rose yell as I turned to see what she was looking at.

There on a stretcher lay my brother. He was as pale as a ghost, his eyes closed.

"Do you know this man?" the officer asked as he pointed at Edward.

"Yes, that's my brother," I yelled as I pushed pass the yellow tape and the police officer.

"Sir, this is a crime scene, you cannot trespass," I heard the officer yell behind me.

"Is he ok?" I asked a paramedic that was putting an oxygen mask on him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"That is my brother in there, you better fucking tell me right now if he is ok," I yelled in exasperation.

"Sorry sir. Your brother was stabbed. The knife missed his heart by a few inches it seems. We are getting ready to transport him to the hospital right now. He regained consciousness for a few seconds and all he said was 'Bella'," the paramedic explained as him and another paramedic loaded Edward into the ambulance.

"Do you want to come with him?" he asked.

"Yes," I muttered.

I felt a hand on my back and I knew instantly that it was Rose.

"Rose, see if you can find Bella. Please call everybody, let them know what happened. What hospital are we headed to?" I asked the paramedic.

"Shady Grove Hospital," he responded.

"We have to go now sir, your brother is in serious condition," he told me.

"Don't worry Emmett. Go with him, I will find Bella and then call the rest of the family," Rose told me in a soothing voice as the ambulance doors were closed and we sped to the hospital.

We made it to Shady Grove Hospital in what was probably a very short time, but to me it seemed like an eternity. The paramedic on the back with us kept working on Edward, attempting to stabilize him and stop him from losing more blood.

I followed them as they removed him from the ambulance and were greeted by a team of nurses and doctors ready to spring into action. I stood there numbly as the paramedics gave the team of doctors details on Edward's condition.

I attempted to follow them as they moved Edward into the hospital but was immediately stopped by a small lady, a look of determination on her face.

"Sir, you can't go in there," She told me as she grabbed my hand and attempted to steer me into another direction.

I jerked my hand from her and I stared her tiny frame down in anger. She didn't even flinch.

"That's my brother they just took in there. I have to go see if he is ok," I yelled at her.

"Your brother is in good hands sir. If you go in there you are only going to cause a distraction and that could cause the doctors to be distracted," she explained in a soothing voice.

"I just have to be with him," I whispered in a resigned voice.

"Why don't you come with me so we can do his paperwork and I will make sure to let you know as soon as you can see him," she told me as she motioned for me to follow her into one of the desks situated in front of the waiting area of the emergency room.

"Emmett!" I heard Rose call as she entered the emergency room waiting area.

I turned around to see her and my knees turned to Jello as I took in the horror look in her face.

"Where is Bella?" I asked.

"No one knows Emmett. Something happened. She was nowhere to be seen. The police think she was kidnapped," she managed to say before she crashed into me and started to sob loudly.

"Sir, we still need to do the paperwork," I heard the woman say behind me.

"I'll take care of that," I heard my mother say as she and my father approached us.

"Where is my son Lucy?" I heard my father ask.

"Dr. Cullen, I had no idea that it was your son in there. He is in trauma room B," she told him as my father made his way through the same doors that had stopped me from following Edward earlier.

"Let's go seat over there," I heard Jasper say in a calm voice as he guided us to a set of chairs next to the farther wall of the ER.

It was then that I realized that all of my family was here. My mother was still filling out the forms as Alice and Jasper sat next to me and Rose.

"He's going to make it," I heard Alice whisper as her shoulder shook from her sobbing.

"What about Bella?" I asked to no one in particular.

"The FBI is already trying to figure out where she is. The think that this was the work of the Post-it killer," Jasper explained as Rose and Alice wailed in agony.

"This can't be happening Jasper. I failed to protect them," I cried out, trying hard to not join the girls in their sobbing.

"Where is Bella?" I heard someone ask from the door. I turned around and I realized that it was a woman and Mike.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I heard Alice ask in an angry voice.

"What did you do to Bella?" I asked Mike as I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall.

"What do you mean? Where is my daughter?" the woman asked. I then realized that she was Bella's mother.

"Why don't you ask this scumbag here?" I yelled at her as I slammed Mike against the wall one more time.

I felt a hand grip me by the shoulder and I turned around to see that it was Jasper.

"Emmett, not here," he said, barely able to contain the anger in his voice.

I let the scumbag plop down in one of the chairs and I turned around to face Jasper.

"He has Bella, and I need to know where she is before he hurts her," I yelled at Jasper.

"I don't know where Bella is. We heard that Edward was stabbed and we came here to meet with her," Mike said in a hoarse voice.

"He is lying," Rose yelled as she stared him down. "You have some nerve showing up in here after what you have done. Where is Bella?" she continued as she slapped Mike in the face.

"I swear I don't know. I love Bella, she is my life. I would never do anything to hurt her," Mike explained as a few tears escaped his eyes.

"Mike was with me when we found out. There is no way he had anything to do with Bella's disappearance. My poor baby," Bella's mother told us.

"Why don't we all calm down while we wait to hear about Edward. Maybe he can tell us where Bella is," my mother told us as she motioned for Bella's mother to sit down.

"I'm Esme," she told Mike and Bella's mother in an attempt to bring civility into the situation.

I looked around and I noticed that Jasper and Alice were talking in low voices. Alice's hands were clamed against Jasper's shirt as she tried to contain her own anger.

"I'm Renee, Bella's mother. This is Mike, the love of her life," she told us as she motioned towards Mike.

"You have some nerve lady," Rose screamed as she stomped out of the ER.

I gave Mike a glare as I followed after her.

"Rose babe, are you ok?" I asked her as I rubbed my hand against her shoulder.

"I'm so worried about Edward and Bella. Where is she Emmett? What if she's murdered like Gage?" she asked as she continued to cry.

"I am worried sick too, Rose. I'm torn between staying here for Edward or going out to try to find Bella," I told her.

"Where would you go? If she was anywhere on her own will she would have come here for Edward," Rose told me as she hugged me.

"Guys, Carlisle is back and he wants to talk to us all," Jasper told us from the ER entrance.

We made our way back inside and followed Jasper into another room.

"How is he?" I asked as soon as I saw my father.

"He is conscious and stable, but he is very agitated about Bella. Can someone explain what happened?" he asked.

"We don't know dad. Bella is missing," I told him as I casted my eyes down in embarrassment.

I heard all the women whimper at the mention of Bella's disappearance and I wanted nothing more than to wake up from this terrible nightmare.

"I am going to call Agent Ford to see what he can tell us," Jasper said as he left the room.

---

One by one we made our way to see Edward. Renee and Mike had stayed in the waiting room the entire time hoping to hear new from Bella. I was not sure if I believed Mike when he said that he had noting to do with her disappearance, but he seemed to be as worried as we all were and it was not the time and place to question him further.

The stab wound that Edward received had been deep, but he was lucky that none of his organs were injured. He would have to stay in the hospital for a few days while his wound healed, but they expected him to make a full recovery.

When it was my and Rose's turn, I took a deep breath and we walked slowly to where he was. I didn't know how to face him. I was his older brother and I had failed to protect him and Bella. I felt so guilty for everything that was happening.

I entered his room and the sight broke my heart. He had been fighting against all the doctors and nurses, telling them repeatedly that he deserve to die because he had let Bella die. Jasper had asked him if he saw who took Bella and if she was ok, and he couldn't answer.

He demanded explanations and Jasper had to tell him that the FBI thought it was the Post-it killer who took her and who tried to kill him. Edward yelled in anger and frustration telling Jasper that it was too late for her, that she was gone and it was all his fault.

He didn't think he deserve to live so he had tried to pull his IV on several occasions and even tried to hurt his own wound, causing the wound to open once again.

My knees trembled as I approached his bed. The only thing keeping me from falling in despair was Rose. Her hands were supporting almost all of my weight, and without realizing she was also holding my sanity, as I was about to lose it.

Edward had been tied to both sides of the bed by both his wrists and ankles. His face was turned away from the door so he didn't have to see who was entering his room. Alice and Jasper told us that he refused to look at anyone.

"Hey bro, how do you feel?" I asked as I tried to make my voice as light as possible.

No response.

"The FBI is doing everything within their power to find Bella. We will find her," I told him trying to give him hope even though I didn't have much left.

"Her detective friends will be arriving early tomorrow morning from Seattle too. They are all going to make sure they find her and everything will be alright," I tried to reassure him.

"She is gone Emmett. Dead," Edward answered in a dead voice. Rose lost it.

"Look at me you fucking asshole," she screamed at him as she grabbed his face and turned him to face her.

"Don't you fucking dare to give up on her. Do you hear me? Until I see a dead fucking body, she is alive, and we will find her," Rose yelled as she slapped Edward on the face.

That did it. Edward finally started to sob in anguish, but I could tell that he no longer wished to give up. I embraced Rose who was shaking in grief next to Edward as I touched his shoulder trying to soothe his sobs.

"We are going to find her brother, even if that is the last thing we all do," I told him as I hugged my Rose.

----

**AN: So who knew James was Mike's partner? Please let me know what your theory on that one was. I was going to leave you all in suspense about Edward, but I figured that Bella missing was enough cliffy for one chapter.**

**Have a great rest of your weekend!!!**


	18. Abducted

**AN: Twilight belongs to SMeyer, no profit is made or intended.**

**I am sorry for the double alert, but it needed to be done. ******

**It has been suggested by one of my wonderful readers that the warning for this chapter needed to be stronger. So here it goes:**

**WARNING: This chapter contains graphic violence and strong sexual content. This is not for the fainthearted. There will be situations along the lines of physical and sexual abuse. **

**----**

**Hello everyone! First of all I want to thank you all for the wonderful reviews. I am sorry I didn't get a chance to respond to any of them, but I wanted to let you know that I really appreciate them. You guys are awesome!**

**This chapter has not been perfected by my wonderful Beta, so one again, please accept my apologies if it's not up to quality.**

**WARNING: This chapter contains strong violence and strong sexual content. **

**Also Bold Italic letters are from the song 18****th**** Floor Balcony by Blue October.**

**----**

**BPOV**

I felt as if I was already dead. I guess that was part of what Mike had planned for me. It seemed like he intended to rip off any trace of humanity that I had left in me before finishing the job. I knew I wasn't going to make it out of this situation alive, but I had no idea when it would happen.

I had been thrown on a dark warehouse for what seemed like weeks. Mike had yet to come in here, so I had been at the mercy of James. I had been made to strip out of my clothes and chained into a metal chair with no cushioning. The only time I was allowed to move was to go to the bathroom once a day, and James would untie my arms also once a day so that I could eat the nasty oatmeal they fed me.

James was not mean to me, but it was obvious that he was following Mike's orders. I tried a couple of times to beg him to let me go but it was useless. He seemed to enjoy having me in this situation a little too much to grant me my freedom. He also seemed to be terrified of Mike.

After my third attempt I got tired of begging and accepted my fate. I knew that I was not going to be able to survive in a world that didn't include Edward, and after all the people that had been murdered because of me I felt that the least I could do was die as well.

The other thing that was horrifying was the multiple personalities that James seemed to suffer with. At times he was Mr. Green, all confident and well spoken. Other times he was Tyler the sex addict. I hated the Tyler personality the most because he was always trying to fondle me and he was always threatening me with rape. I had been lucky because so far it had all been empty threats.

Then there was just James. His stuttering seemed to increase or decrease depending on his level of excitement. He liked to pretend that we were still friends and he would reminiscent on things that happened while we were in High School. Like the times I would spend consoling him after Mike would do something to him, or the times I would seat by him at the cafeteria so people did not think that he was a loner.

He also talked a lot about Leah. She had been his girlfriend in High School but he later found out that it was a prank that Mike had orchestrated in order to humiliate him. He told me in detail what he did to poor Leah. He talked about the stab wounds. The times he had her beg for mercy and lick his feet. It was all truly horrifying.

I was also beginning to understand that the Mike I thought I knew did not exist, he was a monster. I never realized how much he had bullied James, how cruel he had been to him. Everything he did had a purpose. I would have to wait to find out what his real motives were when he decided to date me.

I was also extremely confused about James loyalty to Mike. He had been extremely mean to James, and was responsible for most of the things that happened to him, the things that made James who he was today. I couldn't understand why James would teach him how to kill, and how he would willingly carry his orders as if he was his pet. It seemed like the power that Mike held over James was stronger than anything else I had encountered before.

I tried to keep myself busy. I wanted to keep my mind from going back to Edward. Every time I closed my eyes I could see his lifeless body on the sidewalk, that hideous knife piercing his chest. There were moments that all I could feel was pain, and I would cry for hours until exhaustion would knock me out into a horrifying dream.

I had let everyone down. I was responsible for so many deaths, even the death of the one person I truly loved. I deserved to be here naked, humiliated, and starved to death. I deserved to be beaten and have my heart punctured with a thousand knifes. I truly hated myself.

"Would you please stop that crying? It's hard to imagine fucking your tight little ass when you cry like that," Tyler screamed. I really hated this personality.

"Please be a good girl Isabella. Daddy needs you to be good for him, and maybe he would reward you with a little fucking. What do you think?" he asked as he suggestively moved his eyebrows up and down.

"Mike would kill you if you as much as touched me," I spat. I had learned that this would stop him on his tracks and sometimes even bring Mr. Green back, or if I was very lucky, James.

"Ah Isabella, I see that you like to play dirty," Mr. Green said as he slapped me across the face. Of all of James personalities, Mr. Green was the least scared of Mike, but he could also be the most compassionate. I guess the time for compassion was over.

"I have a little surprise for you Isabella. You would never guess who is coming to visit," he told me in a low voice as I started to shake in fear.

Mike!

----

**EPOV**

"What do you mean there has been no new developments?"I asked exasperated.

"It's been two weeks Jacob, two freaking weeks and you guys have as much clue as we do about Bella's whereabouts. What kind of bullshit is that?" I yelled at him.

Deep inside I knew that Jacob along with the rest of the MDPD and the FBI had been doing their best to locate Bella but I was at my wit's end.

"Edward, you need to calm down. We are doing everything we can. Bella is very important to me and I know how you feel, but please calm down," Jacob told me in a soothing voice.

"You have no clue how I feel Jacob, so don't even go there. I'm sick and tired of all of your team's incompetence," I yelled, my face hot from anger.

"Edward, please calm down. You are not helping right now," Emmett said in an authoritative voice as he put an arm around my shoulders in an attempt to comfort me. I shrugged him off.

"I think I've got something," Mike said in an excited voice as he entered my apartment. Everyone's attention turned to him instantly.

Mike had been helping me and my family look for Bella all over the city. I still didn't trust him, but we needed everyone's help. Once Bella was found we would have to deal with him, but the priority now was finding Bella. My poor Bella.

"What is it?" I asked in a less than excited voice. Mike had proven useless with any of his "discoveries" and I was starting to get annoyed.

"I spent most of the morning going through news about murders in states surrounding Washington and Maryland. I found out that there was a similar murder in Oregon, although the police there convicted the victim's husband. There were also two murders in Philadelphia, two sisters, but once again the person convicted was a relative," he explained as he beamed with pride. I was truly disgusted with him at the moment.

"That doesn't mean it was the Post-it killer Mike. If other individuals have been convicted, then chances are that they are responsible for what happened. I'm sure that if the MO was the same as the Post-it killer, the FBI would have added those murders to the list of cases he is suspected of committing," Jacob told him in an annoyed tone. I was kind of glad I wasn't the only one who was sick of Mike.

"But if you read these," Mike pointed out to Jacob as he pulled print out copies of the articles, "there are many similarities as well. I think is worth investigating. What if it leads to Bella? We need to save her before is too late."

"What about his signature? There is no mention of Post-it notes anywhere in either of the articles," Jacob pointed out as he scanned both print outs.

"Maybe they left it out of the papers to see if it would help catch the killer. Maybe the killer didn't leave them on the body at the time and they didn't think they were significant," Mike insisted.

"Jacob, I think is worth investigating. Perhaps Mike is right," Jasper interjected but I could see he was not too happy with Mike either.

"How about I take those over to Langley and have Stacy look into it," Seth suggested as he took the print outs from Jacob.

"Thanks Seth, that's all I ask. We need to get my Bella home soon or she could die," Mike told him.

My blood started to boil. How dare he call her his Bella? We definitely needed to put Mike in his place. He was beyond ridiculous with his comments about Bella being his.

Jasper approached me and placed an arm over my shoulder, probably being able to sense the anger rolling off me.

"Edward, I think it would do you good to go for a small walk," he whispered so that only I could hear him.

"What if they find something about Bella?" I asked.

"No worries man, we can take our cell phones. I'm sure Emmett can call us if they find anything," he reassured me as he pulled me towards the door.

"Emmett, I'm taking Edward for some fresh air, please call his cell phone or mine if there are any new developments," Jasper instructed Emmett before we exited the apartment.

We made it out into the cool afternoon and headed towards the Boarders bookstore at the other end of the block. We walked in silence and I could sense that Jasper wanted to tell me something.

"What's on your mind, Jasper?"

"I'm concerned about Mike, Edward. He creeps me out, and I feel as if he is not being honest with us," Jasper exhaled.

"I know. I get the same feeling about him too. I know that he has an alibi and everything, but I can't shake off the feeling that he is the key to this entire thing. I don't trust him," I told Jasper as we sat next to the water fountain in front of the bookstore.

"Yeah, he's a creepy dude for sure. I think that we need to be careful of what we say around him, just in case we discover he has something to do with all of this."

"Why don't we just tell him to go to hell and leave us alone?" I asked in frustration.

"Because if he is with us, and he had something to do with what happened to Bella, then chances are that she is being kept alive somewhere, and that's my biggest hope. I'm keeping an eye on him, waiting for the moment he makes a mistake. I promise you this, Edward, no matter how small the mistake is, the moment he does anything to arise suspicion, I'm going after him," Jasper told me in a scary, low voice.

All of my siblings and their significant others were very protective of Bella, almost as protective as I was. They had all stayed at the Penthouse from the moment I got released from the hospital and had been doing whatever was needed to help find her.

"I really hope you are right Jasper. With every passing day that Bella is missing I feel my hope dwindle. We have to find her alive. I need my Bella," I whispered as I started to sob.

Any other time of my life I would have been beyond embarrassed about my public display but I didn't care anymore what people thought of me. The only thing that mattered to me was finding Bella. Without her here my heart felt empty, as if the most crucial part of my existence was missing. My heartbeat was a fathom beat, the beat of a dead heart. I was a dead man walking.

----

Another couple of days went by and I was quickly losing all hope. There had been no ransom notes, no calls, and no clues. It was as if she never existed, as if she had been swallowed whole by the earth.

I took a look at myself in the mirror and I cringed at the reflection. I looked pale, dark bags under my eyes. My skin was cold and rigid, my lips pale. I couldn't sleep, eat, and sometimes I couldn't even face reality.

I found myself day dreaming a lot. I could see Bella in every single inch of this place. I could hear her laugh. I could smell her delicious scent. Sometimes I would spend hours lost in some memory. The time that we spent together had been magical, and it was sad that the other shoe had fallen to the ground with such a hard bang that it was still vibrating all over us.

The Penthouse was unusually quiet today. It turned out that Mike was right about the three murders that he had brought to our attention and both the PD and the FBI were working on finding more about the killer. It was obvious that it would be the only way we would have any clue as to where Bella was.

Mike had also left early in the morning saying something about needing to go to California to solve an important matter. He seemed to be very agitated about having to leave, and we were just as bad, but not for the same reasons. Jasper hated the thought of not keeping an eye on him and he decided to follow him to California.

Emmett and my parents had left the night before to look into other hospitals and shelters in the area. I knew that it was a waste of time, but my mother was adamant that she needed to be doing something or she would go crazy.

Rosalie and Alice were at Rose's apartment with Bella's mother. The woman was a wreck. I could see now that she did love Bella, even though she was so wrong about everything. She had been having panic attacks and was convinced that Bella was dead. I couldn't handle being close to her hysteria, so the girls thought it would be best to keep her busy making more flyers and away from me. She loathed me and told me repeatedly that it was all my fault and I, for one, agreed with her.

I failed to protect the most important person in my life. I was so caught up in my own pain at the thought of her leaving me that I had failed to see who took her, and who tried to murder me. I had failed my Bella. I would never forgive myself for that no matter what the outcome of this situation was.

I sat on the couch and I pinched the bridge of my nose as another wave of pain and guilt hit me. I needed to conjure another happy memory fast or I would lose it completely. I closed my eyes and I started to think about Christmas.

Bella had surprised me on Christmas morning with one of those cute Victoria's Secret Santa outfits in Pink satin. The push up bra made her breasts look delicious, and her legs looked to go on for miles below the tiny skirt with the lighter pink fur at the bottom. Her brown hair cascaded down her shoulders underneath a matching Santa hat. She was breathtaking.

I smiled at myself as I remembered how I tackled her into the bed and removed her outfit. All I wanted that day was to feel her satin smooth skin against mine. A sob escaped my throat as I realized that I may never get to feel her perfect body against mine, my missing puzzle piece.

_**I close my eyes and I smile  
Knowing that everything is alright  
To the core  
So close that door  
Is this happening?**_

_I was suddenly in my bed and I could sense someone else lying there with me. I took a deep breath and I smiled as I realized who it was._

_**My breath is on your hair  
I'm unaware  
That you opened the blinds and let the city in  
God, you held my hand  
And we stand  
Just taking in everything**_

_I could feel her soft hair fanned across my chest and I lowered my head and placed a kiss on top of hers. I didn't know how she got here, or where she had been, but I didn't care. Bella was back and I was never going to let her go again._

_**And I knew it from the start  
So my arms are open wide  
Your head is on my stomach  
And we're trying so hard not to fall asleep  
Here we are  
On this 18th floor balcony  
We're both flying away**_

_I didn't dare say a word or make a single sound. I was terrified of this being a dream, a cruel dream. I just felt content holding onto my Angel, letting the warmth of her body fill me. I cupped her face with my hands and I moved it so that she was now facing me. Slowly I placed my lips over her, no longer being able to hold my desire for her._

_**So we talked about mom's and dad's  
About family pasts  
Just getting to know where we came from  
Our hearts were on display  
For all to see  
I can't believe this is happening to me**_

_Bella moved her face to the side and stared at me, the pain in her eyes breaking my fragile heart. I wanted to ask her so many questions, I wanted to tell her so many things, but somehow I couldn't speak. I realized that I was trying to say something, to scream something at her, but every time I opened my mouth to talk, no sound came forward. I suddenly understood that I was dreaming._

_**And I raised my hand as if to show you that I was yours  
That I was so yours for the taking  
I'm so yours for the taking  
That's when I felt the wind pick up  
I grabbed the rail while choking up  
These words to say and then you kissed me...**_

_I watched in a frozen state as Bella stood up and pointed to one of our picture frames._

"_Remember when we used to be this happy, Edward? Please try to be happy with someone else. You need to let me go baby," Bella whispered to me. I still couldn't speak. I wanted to tell her so bad that I couldn't move on, that my life was not worth living if she wasn't there with me, but I couldn't utter a single sound._

_**I knew it from the start  
So my arms are open wide  
Your head is on my stomach  
And we're trying so hard not to fall asleep  
Here we are  
On this 18th floor balcony...  
We're both flying away**_

"_You have to move on Edward. You have to be happy. Please do it for me," she whispered again as she stroked my hair, her small hands pulling the strands with desperation. I didn't want to let go. I didn't want to move on. This was wrong, so very wrong. Why couldn't she see that she was taking away all of my hope?_

_**And I'll try to sleep  
To keep you in my dreams  
'til I can bring you home with me  
I'll try to sleep  
And when I do I'll keep you in my... dreams**_

_I sobbed hard and loud as she placed a small kiss on my cheek and told me she loved me. She then pulled back and looked into my eyes._

"_I will always be here," she said as she pointed to my head," and here," she continued as she touched my chest, the place where my heart was._

_**I knew it from the start  
So my arms are open wide  
Your head is on my stomach  
And we're trying so hard not to fall asleep  
So here we are  
On this 18th floor balcony, yeah**_

"_Bella, baby, I love you. Please don't leave me. I need you baby," I begged her as soon as I found my voice._

"_It's too late for me, Edward. Please save yourself," she told me in a soft voice as she turned her back to me._

_**I knew it from the start  
My arms are open wide  
Your head is on my stomach  
No, we're not going to sleep**_

Here we are  
On this 18th floor balcony... we're both..  
Flying away

_I stood there, right next to our bed motionless as my angel left. She disappeared into thin air. I started to scream. My life was over now that my hopes had been crushed._

"NO BELLA, PLEASE DO NOT DARE TO LEAVE ME!!! BELLAAA, NOOO, PLEASE BELLA," I cried out as I woke up from my nightmare and fell on my knees right next to the couch.

"EDWARD!" I heard someone scream from the door. The voice very familiar, but I couldn't place it and my eyes where too clouded with tears for me to be able to see clearly.

"Are you ok? I'm so sorry about Bella," the person said as he stood next to me, offering me his arm so that I could stand up.

"Gage? You are supposed to be dead! Oh God, am I still dreaming?" I asked confused.

"I'm alive Edward, just like Bella is. She is not gone, not yet,"

----

**MPOV**

I was frustrated beyond words. That monkey Jasper decided to follow me to the airport and I had no choice but to board a flight to California. Once I was there I would have to lose him in order to get back to DC and meet my Bella.

This was a big problem. If Jasper realized that I was not in California he would suspect even more of me, and I would be exposed. So far my plans of having James take all the blame were working and I didn't want anything to jeopardize that. I needed to think hard about getting rid of Jasper. I smiled as an idea came to me.

I took my cell phone from my pocket and I dialed the familiar number with speed and urgency. I needed to prevent Jasper from leaving DC, and then I would be free to do as I pleased.

"He…he… hello boss," James answered.

"James, I need you to take care of something for me. Do you think you can leave Bella alone for a few hours?" I asked.

"Yes boss," he replied.

"Good. Now, I need you to head to Jasper and Alice's townhouse and set it on fire. I don't care if it looks like arson or not, in fact, I think it would be best if it does. Then I want you to call the police and let them know about the fire. Make sure that there is no evidence linking the fire back to us. Do you understand?"

"Go… Go… Got it boss," he said before he hung up.

Now all I had to do was stall in the airport until Jasper got the call. It was funny how he had no idea that I knew he was following me. They were all so predictable that I was expecting him or the other monkey to do so. They were extremely pathetic.

An hour later Jasper left the airport in a hurry. I had to laugh at his stupid face when he received the news. Now I was free to meet Bella, to savor her skin, to make her mine before I killed her sorry ass.

----

I arrived at the warehouse an hour later. We had selected a location near Richmond, VA, in one of the many remote areas of the city. I had convinced James to purchase the warehouse last year. This was another way to tie everything to him, and him only.

I had plans for James as well. He had been extremely useful to me, and he had thought me a lot, but I couldn't risk him opening his mouth. My secret needed to die with him.

I unlocked the door as I took in the rancid smell coming from inside. The warehouse was a single level dump. It was very large with concrete floors and concrete walls. At the very top there were green windows, many of them had wholes from wear and tear, and probably from the abuse that people around the area had inflicted on it.

We had installed security cameras both on the inside and the outside of the facility in order to avoid getting caught, and prevent Bella from escaping. There was no easy way for anyone to enter this place without being noticed.

At one side of the warehouse was a private office. We had outfitted it with a mattress for my purposes. There were other rooms that had once served for storage, but were not dusty and empty. The rest was an open wide space.

In the middle of the room sat what was once the most precious object in my collection, Bella. She was strapped to the frame of what was once an office chair. We had removed the cushions in the back and the bottom, leaving her to lean against metal, and her gorgeous ass to hang off the middle of the frame. Her hands were tied to the chair's arms and her legs to the chair's legs. You could say she was one with the chair. I chuckled at my dark humor.

"Here's Johnny," I called, repeating the best line ever delivered in a movie.

Bella just stared at me, the look in her face dead. I would have to do something about that. I wanted her to beg me to spare her. I wanted to see her cry. I wanted to see her suffer, and I wanted every single emotion reflected in her pretty face.

It was time for my revenge. I had so many things against her. The list was long. The last item added was the fact that her stupid boy-toy survived. I was not expecting that one, but I was pleased he was clueless. Edward had absolutely no clue that he had been within a few feet distance this entire time from the man that almost killed him, the man that was going to kill Bella. Me!

"Now, what way to greet me is that? Shame on you Bella. Where are your manners? I guess you must have lost them the day you whored yourself to that asshole. Boy am I glad he's dead," I taunted her as I approached her, not getting any reaction from her.

"Well look it here James, it seems like she is dead already. I guess we are going to have to perform some CPR," I called out as I placed my mouth over her nipple and bit hard.

I smiled as Bella screamed in pain, the blood starting to leak from where I bit.

"Now, that's more like it. I need you to be alert for this, Bella. I want to show you how much I love you," I told her as I kissed her cheek, Bella recoiling instantly from me.

"I'm going to have to work on your manners though. You are acting like a spoiled brat!" I yelled as I kicked the chair from behind and watched as Bella hit her head hard against the concrete floor and her ass went upwards, getting exposed in the air as it protruded form the chair's frame.

I moved around so that I could see if she was still alive. The blow to her head had been hard and I would regret it if she got off so easy. After getting satisfied that she was well and alive, I decided to bring out my treasure chest.

"Sweet dreams my little whore," I whispered against her ear before liking it.

I looked into the suitcase that I had filled with all sorts of torturing devices before deciding what I was going to use first. I decided that I should start easy if I wanted it to last.

"James, why don't you come over here and watch the master at work," I called out to him.

He silently made his way towards me and Bella and stood a few feet away, a smile on his face as I took a paddle out of the case.

"I think this would be a nice way to wake her up, don't you think?" I asked James knowing that he would not give me a response.

This was my show and I would be the only want speaking, the only one performing, and the only one allowed to touch Bella.

I took a deep breath and I slammed the paddle against her smooth ass with as much force as I could muster. It turned instantly red and I felt my member stiffen in my pants as Bella screamed in agony.

"Wakey wakey little monkey. Did you have sweet dreams about poor little me?" I mocked her.

"Just get it over with Mike. Just kill me already," she yelled.

Now we were talking. Nothing like a good paddle in the ass to bring out some passion.

"Now, do you really think I would let you off so easily? Really? You disappoint me Bella, I thought you were smarter than that," I told her as I hit her again with the paddle.

This time she did not scream, she just moaned in pain as my cock twitched. I hit her over and over again until she was once again unconscious. Her ass was full of welts and was already bruising. I would have to make sure to fuck her doggie style so that I could enjoy my handy work.

"James, please untie her and move her to the office. It's time to have some fun," I ordered.

James quickly complied, managing to move Bella and lay her in the mattress without waking her up.

"Why don't you take a walk or something? I might be a while," I ordered as James left the office, closing the door behind him.

I knelt down next to Bella and I pushed her legs open before sticking two fingers inside her pussy. I had dreamed of doing that all of my life, too bad I was not going to enjoy her for too long. She had done too much and I wanted her dead soon. She needed to pay for all the pain she caused me.

I removed my fingers from her core and I moved my hands over her breasts, pinching her nipples hard. Bella screamed in pain as her eyes opened wide in realization. I could tell she knew what was about to happen.

"MIKE NOOOO!" she screamed as I started to remove my pants.


	19. Killing me Softly

**AN: SMeyer owns Twilight. No profit is made or intended.**

**WARNING: The following chapter contains extreme violence for the first half. If you are squeamish or feel uncomfortable with any of the following subjects: sexual abuse, extreme physical abuse, then please skip all the way until it says EPOV. Thanks!**

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, I love all of them and I appreciate you taking the time and sending me a note. **

**Once again this chapter has not gone through my awesome Beta, so please forgive me if is not up to quality.**

**----**

**BPOV**

I gritted my teeth as hard as I could every time Mike brought down the paddle. I may have accepted my dead fate, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of begging him or of showing him how much he was hurting me. At this point I didn't care if that meant that he would punish me and hurt me that much harder.

Just when my resolve was about to leave me I was surrounded by darkness and for that I was thankful. Darkness was the only thing that brought me peace and I was hoping that I would be surrounded by permanent darkness soon.

_I was lying in bed, my head resting against Edward's smooth and broad chest. My hair was fanned all over him and I sighed as I realized that I was home. I had so many things I wanted to tell him, so many things I wanted him to forgive me for._

_Was I dead? Had I joined him in heaven? Surely that was too much to ask, but whatever the case was I was going to relish my time with him because I knew that we were on borrowed time. I turned so that I could look into his eyes and I screamed in agony as I realized that his eyes were dead. My Edward was dead._

_I cried against his shoulder for what seemed like hours only to realize that I was just clutching a pillow, a pillow covered in blood. His blood._

_I wanted desperately to wake up from this nightmare but soon I realized that the nightmare waiting for me in the real world was much worse than this one. I felt so alone, so lost in my own little maze of horrors._

I was suddenly jerked awake by an intense pain in my chest. I realized in horror as I opened my eyes that Mike was hovering over me, his hands pinching my nipples.

"MIKE NOOOO!" I screamed as I realized what he was about to do.

I watched like a marble statue as he removed his pants and his shirt. Once he was completely naked, Mike knelt down beside me and started to lick my neck as he made a trail down over to my breasts while his nasty clammy hands moved all over my waist.

"I'm going to claim what's mine," he whispered against my ear causing me to recoil in disgust.

Without thinking I pushed my knee upwards and I connected with his groin. I hear him curse in agony as I tried to move myself out from underneath him.

"You fucking bitch," he yelled as he slapped me in the face.

I made a fist and I punched him in the nose, successfully making him roll off me and I made my move. I stood up in shaky legs and I delivered another swift kick to his center as I scrambled to run free out of the room.

I was reaching the door handle when I felt his hand on my ankle as he tried to push me down. I grabbed the door handle with all my strength as I tried to juggle free from his grasp. Once I was able to open the door I ran from the room towards the direction of the warehouse entrance.

I kept looking back to see if Mike was following but all I could hear was his cursing followed by chuckles. He had really lost it. I was almost at the entrance when I took a look back towards the direction Mike had been as I crashed into something solid. James.

"Did you really think you could escape, Bella?" Mike asked from the entrance to the room where we had just been.

"Bring her over here James, we are not done yet," Mike instructed as James grabbed me my both of my arms, lifting me in the air. He dragged me all the way into the hideous room and threw me forcefully over the mattress.

I moved my arms and legs in frenzy as I tried once again to stand up, but Mike pushed me hard once more before slapping me once again. I dug my nails over his face making him scream in agony as he slapped me again.

He then punched me on the face before proceeding to choke me. I tried desperately to escape from his dead grip as I felt the air in my lungs extinguish little by little. He let go of my neck as he stood up and kicked me hard on my stomach making me double over in pain.

I started to cry and scream as I realized that I couldn't fight him, he was much stronger than I was. I let out a loud sob as he once again knelt beside me and forcefully pushed my legs open. He moved so that he was kneeling in between my legs and I moved my head to the side waiting for the inevitable.

I waited, and waited, nothing.

I chanced a look at his face and I realized that he was red in anger. I couldn't understand why he looked the way he did until I realized that his tiny member sat shriveled and flaccid between his legs. I couldn't help myself as I started to laugh out loud at his situation.

I laughed and I laughed as tears welled in my eyes, no longer knowing if I was laughing at him or if it was simple hysteria. Needless to say, Mike didn't take lightly to the fact that I was laughing at him and proceeded to punch me and hit me anywhere he could get to.

I could hear one of my ribs break as he delivered a nasty punch to my side but I still couldn't stop from laughing. I had finally lost it.

After Mike got tired of using me as a punching bag, he stood up and started to kick me. First he kicked my legs, moving to my groin and finally kicking me in the chest until I was left with no air.

"That quieted you down bitch," he spat as he spit on my face before delivering once final kick to my head. Darkness claimed me once more.

----

I woke up once again tied up to the chair frame. I couldn't open one of my eyes and I could taste the blood on my swollen lips. I whimpered as I was filled with the most horrific pain. Every single inch of my body hurt.

From what I could see with my one good eye, there wasn't a single piece of skin left that wasn't turning purple. I had fist marks all over my arms and tights. I straightened my head so that I could take in my surroundings.

The place was quiet, almost too eerie. I shook as I realized how cold I was. My lips trembled as I felt my body temperature drop. It was once again night time.

I wondered where Mike and James were. I was hoping that they would leave me alone for the rest of the night. I needed to recover my strength. I wasn't about to go down without a fight.

I closed my eyes and I cried in silence as I realized that I had been very lucky. Mike was unable to perform the unspeakable acts that he wanted to perform because his own body failed him. I thought it was ironic. I had a feeling that his issues had nothing to do with me and I wondered if that was what triggered in part Jessica's death.

Jessica. I couldn't shake the images of her mangled body from my head. It was almost as bad as the images of Edward's lifeless body on the sidewalk. Was I going to become another picture, a new trophy in Mike's collection?

"You shouldn't fight him," I hear Mr. Green whisper as he untied my hands and placed a bowl of oatmeal on them.

"So I should just let him take my life just like that?" I yelled at him as tears clouded my vision

"Shh, you are going to wake him. All I'm saying is that it would be much faster for you if you let him do things without fighting him. All you are doing now is egging him on and he is going to prolong this unnecessarily. Don't you want to join your lover in hell?" he asked with a smirk.

"So you are playing the good cop now huh? Do you enjoy being Mike's little pet?" I spat at him.

He took the oatmeal bowl out of my hands and threw it across the room before he tied my hands to the chair once again.

"Fu… fu…fuck you bi…bitch!" James yelled as he stomped away.

"The less you feed me, the faster I die you asshole," I yelled back surprising myself at the venom in my voice.

After that I just sat there with a smug grin on my face. I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me submit to them before I died.

----

The next couple of days proved to be very repetitive. Mike would try to rape me, never being successful in his attempts to arouse his minuscule dick, and then he would proceed to beat me out of frustration.

I could no longer open either one of my eyes. My lips were so swollen that I couldn't even manage to eat the disgusting oatmeal they served me. James tried to force feed me every night, only to have me spit it all out all over him.

This had become my hell. I would cry in silence every night after my two tormentors went to bed. I would cry for the pain and the desolation I felt. I would cry for all of those who I had lost and for the things that would never be. I would cry because of my naked humiliation and for the never ending beating of my heart. It was as if I was doomed to never die.

I also found it really hard to stay conscious. Each beating that Mike delivered leaving me weaker than the one before. I had a hard time keeping track of the days, the hours, even the minutes. The only solace that I had was that every time I closed my eyes, Edward was there to greet me. My fallen Angel.

I would wrap myself against his ultra white wings and I would let him comfort me.

"It'll be over soon baby," he would whisper in my ear.

"We'll be together soon, my Bella," he would coo, and then disappear into thin air.

There were times that I could even smell his wonderful scent. I could feel the silkiness of his bronze hair between my fingers. I could feel his lips against mine. When I was at my worse, I could hear him recite words of encouragement in my ear.

"Keep fighting baby, don't let them win…"

I stiffened in my uncomfortable position as I heard footsteps approach.

"Well look who decided to wake up," Mike sneered.

I kept my silence trying to ignore him as much as I could. I knew that it would only earn me another beating, but talking or acknowledging him would be giving him the upper hand and I was not giving up until the last beat of my heart was gone.

"I have something special for you my little whore. I need to leave you for a couple of days so that I can keep up the pretenses, but I thought you would appreciate it if I gave you a taste of what was to come upon my return," Mike told me on a low, deadly voice as he placed his horrific suitcase in front of me.

"Have you ever seen my dagger collection?" he asked as he grinned.

A cold sweat ran down my spine as I realized what was in store for me.

"There are a couple of rules, Bella. I hate it when people make any noises while I'm working on them with my precious knives. So it's in your best interest to be a good girl and remain quiet for me. I'm going to place a gag in your mouth, since this is your first time and all, and then I'm going to make you watch as I give you my own kind of branding."

I whimpered as Mike placed a nasty rubber ball in my mouth. James moved beside me and held my head forcefully so that I could not turn away. Mike pulled out one of his knives and ran the blade across my face, not cutting me, but collecting the sweat that was now pouring all over my body.

He then ran the knife over my breasts, across my stomach, and once again over my face.

"These are for later," he whispered in my ear as he pulled all the daggers away.

As soon as I started to feel relief I was stopped dead in fear. He had removed a scalpel from the bag and was dipping it in alcohol.

"I love making body art," he sang to himself as he dug the scalpel right at my hip bone and started to scrawl on my skin.

I let out a guttural sound as I cringed in pain and tried to no avail to release myself from James grasp. The smell of my own blood started making me dizzy and I was about to pass out when Mike placed some smelly salts under my nose.

"No you are not," he warned me.

Tears ran freely as I sobbed against the gag while Mike kept scrawling on my skin. Every time a sound escaped me, he would dig in deeper, bringing more and more blood out.

"There we go. That wasn't so bad, was it now?" he asked as he rubbed alcohol against my skin making me scream.

He had created a large 'M' right above my hip bone. He slapped me across the face before he removed the gag from my mouth.

"You are mine now bitch," he yelled at me before slapping me once again.

"Please just kill me," I begged as he retreated from the warehouse.

----

**EPOV**

"Gage? You are supposed to be dead! Oh God, am I still dreaming?" I asked confused.

"I'm alive Edward, just like Bella is. She is not gone, not yet,"

"I don't understand. We… we buried you. Bella spend hours crying at your grave site. What happened?" I asked bewildered.

"I was left for dead but was still breathing when the police arrived at my apartment. They took me to the Naval Hospital in Bethesda and I was in a coma for almost a month. Then it took me another two to finally be released from the hospital. I've been on witness protection," Gage explained.

"So you know who the killer is? Do you know where we can find Bella?" I asked with renowned hope.

"It's not that simple, Edward," he stated as he casted his eyes down.

"What do you mean? If you know how to find Bella then you need to tell us now. We need to find her, Gage," I said raising my voice.

"I never got a chance to look at his face. He was wearing a ski mask," Gage said while he stared at the ground.

"God, this can't be happening. I'm so frustrated," I sighed as I let myself fall on the couch.

"Look Edward, I'm really sorry. I wish there was anything I could do to help. I came here against the FBI advice to see how I could help. There is not a single day of my life that I don't regret not being able to look at that asshole," Gage stated as he sat next to me on the couch.

"Nah, man, is alright. I'm glad you are alive. I don't know why, but somehow it gives me hope that maybe Bella is still alive. I know that you two were dating when all of this happened, but I have to be honest with you, I love her with all my heart. She loves me too," I explained to Gage as I tried to gauge his reaction.

I was expecting him to be mad, to yell at me, but I was not expecting him to smile.

"She's very special," he sighed.

"You are not mad?"

"How could I be? Bella and I started dating because we were both looking for love, and I'm really happy that she found it. Now we just have to make sure we find her and protect her from that bastard."

"But, don't you have feelings for her?" I pushed.

"I do, but only as a friend. The day that ugh… the day that I was hurt, we were going to talk about our relationship. You see, we tried really hard to feel something for one another, but there was nothing there but friendship. I'm pretty sure that is what she would've told me that day should we've met. I knew she was holding out for someone else, and I'm glad to find out that it was you, my friend," Gage told me as he patted me on the back.

"I failed her. I was unable to protect the most important part of my life. This is all my fault. I never deserved her," I sobbed.

"Edward, the killer is skilled. I know martial arts, and I am pretty strong, and I still couldn't outmaneuver him. I don't think anyone could've prevented this from happening. You need to stop blaming yourself and be strong for Bella."

"Gage is right. You will not gain anything by blaming yourself. Now more than ever you need to stay strong for her," a tall blonde woman said from the other side of the living room.

I looked at her in confusion as Gage cleared his throat.

"Pardon my manners. Edward this is Agent Lamb from the FBI. She is the Agent in charge of my protection. Charley this is my friend Edward. He's Bella's boyfriend," Gage introduced us as Agent Lamb approached us.

"Nice to meet you Dr. Cullen," Agent Lamb said as she offered me her hand.

"Nice to meet you too, but please call me Edward," I responded as I shook her hand.

"Gage, I'm going to go meet with Agent Ford at a coffee shop around the corner. Please do not leave this place. I'll come get you once I'm done. Would you be ok here?" she asked with concern.

Something told me that there was something else going on with Agent Lamb and Gage. There seemed to be this energy floating off them, just like when I was with Bella.

"I'll be fine. I think Edward could use the company," he winked at me as he smiled back at her.

"Alright then, you know where to call if something happens," she told him as she gave him a shy smile and walked out the door.

"What was that about?" I asked Gage as soon as the door closed.

"She is just worried about my safety," Gage answered.

I detected a hint of nervousness in his voice so I decided to press the matter.

"Somehow I think there's more there," I told him as I gave him a small smile.

I hadn't smiled in what seemed like days. I was really glad that Gage was alive.

"Well, I may have been kissing her this morning before we came over here," he sheepishly admitted.

"Ha! I knew it. I am happy for you man."

We spoke for a little longer catching up about the investigation about Bella's disappearance and his recovery program when my cell phone rang.

"Jasper?" I asked after glancing at the Caller ID and answering my phone.

Jasper was supposed to follow James to California so I had assumed that he was on a plane headed that way.

"Edward, please forgive me. I had to stay in DC," he said.

"What? What happened?" I asked irritated.

"I got a call from Alice telling me that the police had called about a fire at our Townhome," he explained.

"What? Is Alice ok?" I asked panicked.

"Yes, she is fine, but we lost everything. Do you think it would be alright if we stayed with you for now?"

"Of course man, you guys have been staying here ever since Bella… ugh. Are you headed this way?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"Yes, Alice and I will be arriving there in twenty minutes."

Twenty five minutes later Jasper walked through the door.

"I think you should start locking that door," he said as he stopped dead on his tracks.

"Gage?"

"Hey Jasper. I guess I'm back from the dead," Gage joked as he embraced Jasper.

We spent some time going over what had happened to Gage. No one other than us knew that he was alive. The FBI wanted to keep him in hiding until the killer was apprehended so he could testify in court.

"Edward, I'm worried about losing track of Mike. This fire on my place was a little too convenient don't you think?" Jasper asked as he put his hand over his eyes and leaned back on the couch.

"Who's Mike?" Gage asked as he looked at both of us.

We told him the story about Mike and Bella and how Bella had met with him the morning before her disappearance. Then we explained how Mike had showed up at the hospital I was being treated at with Bella's mother and how he had been trying to help with the investigation.

At first Gage couldn't understand why we felt the need to follow him or why we couldn't trust him so we told him about all the manipulations he had been orchestrating with Bella's mother and Bella's reaction after he showed her some pictures of their supposed house.

"The guy keeps on referring to her as his Bella. He gives us all the creeps," Jasper explained.

"I understand now. However if he was the killer, then wouldn't he be with Bella? Unless… oh God, I don't even want to think about it," Gage said as I groaned.

We spent another hour catching up and after making my usual calls to the MDPD and the FBI to see if there were any new developments, I decided it was time to run around the neighborhood and ask people if they had seen Bella.

That was my every day routine and I would not stop doing that until Bella was found. Gage left with his Agent "friend" but told us that they were relocating to a safe house in the area and that he would be by as often as possible.

I was about to step out of my apartment when a big bear of a man stood in front of me at the door.

"Are you Dr. Cullen?" he asked in an intimidating voice.

"Yes."

"I'm Chief Swan, Bella's father. May I come in?" he asked as he pushed pass me.

"Are there any new developments about her disappearance?" he asked from the middle of the living room as Jasper gave him a glance over.

"Nothing new. We were just leaving to see if we could find anyone who's seen her," Jasper replied.

"And who are you?" Bella's father asked.

"I'm Jasper, Edward's brother-in-law and Bella's friend.

"Chief, would you like to join us?" I asked trying to be polite.

"Just call me Charlie son. I'm going to head out to my hotel and then I have a meeting with Agent Ford. I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I'm in town," he responded as he dropped his guard.

I could see in his face that he was just as worried as the rest of us were about Bella. After exchanging phone numbers he took off leaving Jasper and I to resume our search routine.

----

Another couple of days went by and we still had no clues about Bella's whereabouts. Everyone was on edge as we all started to lose hope of ever finding her again.

It turned out that the fire at Jasper and Alice's home had been ransom and the police was trying to find any evidence that may link the fire to the killer.

My parents had returned from their trip with Emmett empty handed. No one had seen or heard about Bella. My mother was so worked up about the entire situation that my father kept her sedated for most of the day. She truly loved Bella as if she was her own daughter.

After exchanging a few choice words with Renee, Charlie demanded that she went back to Florida. He couldn't believe that Renee had come over to push Bella back into Mike's arms. He told her that she did not deserve to be called a mother and that Bella was better off without her.

He also warned her that if he found out that she had anything to do with her disappearance that he would personally hunt her down. Even I felt sorry for Renee once Charlie was done and I didn't blame her for leaving, though I was pretty sure she was not going back to Florida.

We also had a big brawl with both the FBI and the MDPD, ending with Charlie punching Jacob in the face. Apparently they had known from the very beginning that Bella was much more of a target than they let on, and they didn't protect her, opting instead for doing surveillance in hopes they would catch the killer in the act.

After doing months of surveillance, they decided to call it off because they felt that the killer was no longer in the area and no longer a threat to Bella. We were all livid. I couldn't believe that her own friends would risk her life like that just so they could catch a guy.

Jacob and Seth were extremely apologetic, but communication with them and the rest of the team had been strained since then.

Gage came over every afternoon to get updates from the case and to give me support. I felt most comfortable with him because he had faced the killer and survived and I was hanging onto that single thread of hope.

"So Edward, I know you are not in the mood for much, but how about we play some 'Wii'?" Gage asked with rehearsed enthusiasm.

"Nah man, I'm just not in the mood," I told him as I sat on my piano bench.

"No worries, I understand. Do you mind if I go into your office and use the computer?" he asked.

"Sure, no problem. I'll be here," I responded as I turned to look out of the window.

_Bella, love where are you?_ I thought as I gazed down towards the crowded streets. Today was a Saturday, Bella's favorite day to go and venture out around Bethesda. We enjoyed going for walks around the city and trying new restaurants. Afterwards we would always catch an Independent Film and then have S'mores at Cosi.

Sometimes we would spend hours in the bookstore. I would be entertained in the music section while she would curl up in a couch or a corner and read a book. She usually read the classics, but every now and then a non-fiction book would grab her attention and she would engross herself in it.

On Sundays we had taken up riding our bikes on the Capital Crescent Trail. Most times we would hop off the trail near Georgetown and we would walk around the shops in the area, often picking fruit and chocolate from Dean and Deluca. Sometimes though, we would make it all the way to Alexandria, VA and we would walk around Old Town, always taking the Metro back home.

I felt my chest tighten as I revived all of those memories. We hadn't been together for that long, but the time we did spent with each other seemed like a lifetime. I felt so frustrated. I wished there was something I could do to bring her back, anything at all. I wanted Bella back so bad I would have been willing to exchange my life for hers.

I was just about to doze off when there was a knock on the door.

**Gage POV**

I decided to head towards Edward's office in order to give him some time alone. I could sense the tension and the sadness roll off him and I felt so impotent. I regretted not being able to offer any clues about the killer. All the things that I had provided had proven useless in finding Bella. Why did I survive if I wasn't able to help at all? I often asked myself that same question.

I wasn't really interested in using the computer so I decided to think about Charley instead. She was so beautiful, so tender and caring, yet so intimidating and strong. It was hard trying to keep my hands off her.

Every single second I spent next to her, I spent it exercising my control so that I would not devour her right then and there. I had never experienced a feeling so intense, so encompassing. I was falling in love with her.

I wasn't sure what to make about our relationship. Because of the nature of her relation to me and the Witness protection program we were not allowed to get close. So I very often felt like a horny teenager hiding from the parents while making out with the hot girl in school.

I was starting to imagine the things I wanted to do to her as we furthered our relationship when I heard a distant knock. Realizing that it was the front door, I decided to stay put until Edward called me, if he needed me.

I tried to go back to my Agent Lamb fantasies when I heard a voice that made my entire body tremble. I sat there shaking in fear as memories flooded my head. This was the voice I had sworn to recognize for the rest of my existence.

The killer was here in this apartment with us.


	20. Flatlining Heart

**WARNING: The following chapter contains extreme violence. Please do not read if you can't handle violent situations. The content of the chapter is fit of an R Movie. Thanks!**

**Hello everyone! First of all, I wanted to let you know that we are near the end of this story. I'm sad that it's all coming to an end so soon, but this has been a lot of fun.**

**Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews, you all rock!!!**

**Once again, this chapter has not gone through my wonderful Beta, so please forgive me if it's not up to quality.**

**----**

**BPOV**

Endless days of torture, that's what my life had been reduced to. With each passing day I felt my strength and my resolve abandon me. My entire body was numb from sitting in the same position for too long, but at the same time there was a throbbing pain cursing through every inch of my body from all of the things that Mike had done to me.

It had only been a day since Mike left, but I was terrified about him coming back. I was hoping that the new way James was treating me would accelerate my death so that I didn't have to suffer through whatever Mike had planned for me.

They no longer helped me out to the restroom. I was no longer given food or water. I was dying slowly and there wasn't anything I could do about it. All I wanted was for this to end. I was desperate to find peace. I wanted my soul to leave this place.

I could no longer open my eyes, move my mouth, or keep my head straight. I was soiled and beyond cold. All I could manage to do was cry. Cry for the baby my mother had and all the hopes she had for her future. Cry for the little girl that used to have dreams or writing books and one day forming a family. The little girl that had once hated dance lessons, and had been in the ER more times than anyone she ever knew, the young woman that placed all her dreams in the wrong man and was crushed and disappointed. I cried the woman that rose from the ashes and decided to move forward with her life. Cried for the future that never was.

I cried for my father and the thought of him spending the rest of his life alone, his little girl gone. I cried for all of those who invested time in being my friends and family, the people who I would never get to see again. I kept picturing my life before all of this mess happened and getting mad at myself for all the little things I took for granted.

I didn't even have the strength to be angry anymore, angry at my morbid fate. I had been given the chance to see my perfect life map out in front of me to only be snatched by a sadistic asshole. I would never begin to understand what I could have done to deserve this terrible fate.

"I ho…ho…hope that M…M…Mike get's here soooon. I wa…wan…want to kill you myself Isabella. I wa…wan…want to take this knife and dri…dri…drive it slooowly inside you. The scent of yo…your blooood lea…leaving your body as your eyes cloooose for a final ti…time," James screamed from across the room as he picked one of Mike's daggers and balanced it from one hand to the other.

I muffled a scream as he started to approach me, his eyes never leaving my face. I felt the burn of my tears as they started to slide freely down my cheeks, hot and heavy. I shook as I felt his hot breath against my neck.

"I don't think M…M…Mike will mi…mi…mind if I play with you for a li…li…little bit, do you?" he asked as he stuck his tongue out and licked the tears from the right side of my face.

"Yum, yo…yo…you taste so saaaalty Isabella," he whispered as he licked his lips.

"Mike is going to kill you if you touch me," I managed to mumble. My facial muscles screaming in pain as I attempted to move my mouth.

"Hahahahahahahaha. Do you see M…M…Mike around heeere? No one is he…he…here to hel…help you Isabella. Wait, did yo…yo…you just peee yourself?" he spat as he continued to laugh.

"Oh doo…doo…don't be like that. I just wa…want to play wi…wi…with you," he whispered against my face as he ran the knife against my arm, cutting my skin and causing me to scream in agony.

The smell of the blood made me instantly dizzy and I hoped that I would faint soon so that I would not have to withstand this new torture.

But the darkness never came, so I sat there screaming my lungs out as he made small cuts all over my arms and legs.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing James? Step away from her NOW!" I heard Mike scream from the door.

I had never been so relieved to hear Mike come. I knew that the relief was going to be short lived, but I was thankful regardless. My life was so miserable at the moment that I was thankful for the smallest of things, never losing sight of the fact that I was going to be murdered sooner or later.

"I'm so…so…sorry boss," James said as he moved away from me and out of the warehouse.

"Now Bella, I think is time to finish this up. What d you think?" Mike asked as he approached me, a new dagger in his hand.

Darkness once again claimed me.

----

**EPOV**

I watched as Gage turned around and headed for my office. I felt bad for not being more cheerful but all I could think about was Bella. I had the urgency to find her. Something told me that she didn't have much time left.

I sat back on the couch and ran my hands through my hair for the hundredth time that day. I was sure that I looked just as bad as I felt but I couldn't bring myself to care.

I had just started to nod off as I heard a knock on the door. I sighed loudly as I stood up to open it.

"Who is it?" I asked as I grabbed the knob.

"It's Mike," I heard from the other end.

I opened the door and I was shocked by his appearance.

"What the hell happened to you?" I asked as I looked at him up and down.

"Someone tried to mug me back in LA," he responded as he shrugged his shoulders.

I really wanted to believe him, but my medical experience told me different. Some of his scratch marks seemed to be a few days old while others looked as fresh as a couple of hours.

I was just about to start questioning him when I heard a loud bang from the office.

"Look, this is not a good time Mike. Can you come back later?" I asked him remembering that no one was allowed to know that Gage was alive.

"Ok, but who's here with you?" he asked as he stared at the door that led to the office.

"Oh, that's just Jasper. He has been staying here with my sister since what happened to their place," I explained.

"What happened?" Mike asked with fake concern.

"There was a fire. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to take care of some things," I said curtly as I rushed him out the door.

"Alright, Edward, I have a meeting later today, so I probably won't see you until later tomorrow morning. I did some more research and I think I have new evidence for the cops," he said as he waved me goodbye.

I closed the door and I quickly made my way to the office. I opened the door and I stopped on my tracks as I looked at Gage. He was standing in the middle of the room, his pants wet from his own waste, his hands shaking, and a pile of stuff from my desk was spread all over the floor.

"Are you ok? What the hell happened?" I asked.

"The voice. That voice!!! We need to call the police right now," he screamed in a panic as I tried to make sense of what he was telling me.

"What voice?" I asked as I wondered if he had lost it.

"The voice in the living room, Edward. GET THE POLICE IN HERE NOW!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Who? Mike? What about Mike?" I asked as I placed my hands over his shoulders and I shook him.

"THE KILLER WAS HERE. THE KILLER WAS HERE!!" he yelled at me as he pushed me out of the way and grabbed my phone.

Before I could process what he was saying I heard him dial some number.

What did he mean the killer was here? MIKE! The realization hit me like a ton of bricks as I bolted out of the apartment and down the stairs. I needed to find Mike. He had Bella and he was going to have to tell me where she was.

I ran as fast as I humanly could down the stairs and rushed outside of the apartment but there was no trace of Mike. I led out a loud scream as I fell to the floor in frustration. That asshole had Bella all this time and he was playing us all.

He was the one responsible for the kidnapping. He had been here all along, witnessing all of our efforts to find her, laughing in our faces. I was now pretty sure that he was the one who had thrown that dagger at me and tried to kill me.

"Edward, where is Gage?" I heard Agent Lamb ask as Jacob helped me off the floor.

"Hi's upstairs. We lost him. I don't know where he went," I screamed in frustration at Jacob and Seth.

"You lost who?" Seth asked in confusion.

"He lost Mike, the post-it killer," Agent Lamb told him as she rushed inside the building and pressed the elevator buttons.

"What?" Jacob asked in shock.

"Gage recognized Mike's voice when he showed up less than then minutes ago in my apartment," I explained.

"Did Mike see Gage?" Agent Lamb asked as we all boarded the elevator.

"No, Gage was in another room when Mike came. We need to find him now Jacob. What the hell are we waiting for?"

"You need to calm down Edward," Jacob said as we exited the elevator.

"Calm down? What the fuck are you talking about? This guy has Bella, he's had her for almost a month and you want me to calm down?" I spat at Jacob as I pushed pass him and grabbed my phone.

I could hear Agent Lamb asking Gage questions as Jacob and Seth were both on their phones calling the rest of the task force. I quickly dialed Jasper's number and started to pace around the room as it rang.

"_Jasper here_," he answered.

"Mike is the killer."

---

Half an hour later my apartment was filled to capacity. There were people there from the task force, Bella's father, my family, and a few others who I had no idea who they were.

"Listen everyone, we need to formulate a plan before moving forward with anything," Agent Ford said loudly trying to gather everyone's attention.

"First things first, Edward, does Mike know we suspect he is the killer?" he asked me.

"No, I don't think so. He left before he could see Gage, and Gage didn't tell me anything until after he left."

"So where is he now?" he asked.

"He said he had a meeting to attend and that he would be back tomorrow morning. Look, I just want to know how we can get Bella back. We are running out of time. What if he comes back and sees all of you in my apartment?" I asked exasperated.

"I already have two agents trying to track down Mike's whereabouts. Once they locate him they are going to shadow him. If he indeed has Bella, we will find out. In the meantime I want everyone who isn't supposed to be here to clear this apartment. If anyone hears from Mike, please notify any of us immediately and please do not try to follow him or engage him on your own," Agent Ford directed.

"Edward, I know it's hard, but right now we have to be patient. Mike has no clue we are on to him, and he will lead us to her," Jacob said in a soothing voice.

"But what if it's too late? What if… oh God! What if he… he took care of her while he went to California? What if that's where he has her?" I asked as I fell down on my knees, my body instantly seized by fear.

"You can't think like that Edward. Right now the worst thing any of us can do is lose hope," Jasper told me as he knelt beside me.

"We are going to find her Edward. I can feel it," Alice whispered.

"If that's the case, then why do you look so scared?" I asked her.

"I'm just worried about being too late," she explained as she abruptly wiped tears from her face.

"Alice, baby, we are going to find her. Everything will be alright, you'll see," Jasper told her in a soothing voice as he stood from my side and walked over to where she was.

I stood up as I watched them hug each other and left the room. I was having a really hard time seeing anyone being affectionate towards another. It made my heart ache ten thousand times worse.

----

Later that evening my family and I sat at the dining room table while we discussed the day's discoveries.

"I have to handle it to that asshole. It takes some kind of sick, crazy balls to come here and pretend concern over Bella while being the one responsible for what was happening. I would give anything to be able to punch the crap out of him right now," Emmett told us as he pressed his fist against his open hand making a hard slap sound.

"I knew we couldn't trust him. I'm so upset about the whole California thing. I should have boarded that plane with him," Jasper lamented.

"I have a feeling that he had something to do with the fire on our townhouse, and that he never got on that plane. Bella's not in California, she's here," Alice speculated.

"How could he have done that? I could see him while we were waiting in the Airport, all the way 'till I got your call baby," Jasper asked Alice.

"I don't know," she sighed in frustration.

"Wait a minute. So what if the theory the FBI had about it being two murderers is true?" Rose asked as she stood up from her seat on the table.

"What about it?" I asked frustrated.

"Don't you see? That would explain how Mike could spend so much time with us as we searched for Bella. He didn't leave our side for more than a few hours until he took that supposed trip to California," she explained.

"That would also explain the fire. I remember him making a call about an hour before I got the call from Alice about the fire, and after that he just seemed to stall around the airport. At the time I just thought that his flight was delayed or something. Perhaps he called the other person and had him set up the fire," Jasper mused.

"But that means that he knew you were following him. He knew we suspected him. Do you think he knows that we know who he is?" I asked.

"I don't think so, son. Agent Ford said that his Agents had located him at the headquarters of his father's company. If he suspected anything he would have either tried to run a way, or tried to move Bella," my father told me as he patted my shoulder.

"But maybe he called the other guy and asked him to fin… God, my poor Bella," I sobbed.

"Let's hope not, son. We have to find her," my mother said.

"The question is though, who's this other guy?" Emmett asked.

"Wait!" Alice exclaimed excited.

"What?" we all asked in unison.

"Maybe Mike is trying to have his partner take the fall for everything. That would explain why he has been trying to keep the façade of the concerned friend and why he has spent so much time with us," she explained.

"So he's using us as his alibi while he blames his partner?" Rose asked.

"Exactly, and I think he gave us an important clue as to who his partner may be," Alice sang.

"When? Where?" I asked. I was frustrated that I had missed all of these signs.

"Remember the day he came here with some articles from similar murders? I bet that his partner was the author of those murders and Mike was giving the FBI a push towards that direction. This gives me a lot of hope," Alice said.

"Why?" I asked skeptically.

"Why? Because, my dearest brother, Mike only gave the FBI a very small clue. That means he's not done with Bella. I believe that if he was done, he would've given the FBI a better clue. Something to take them of his own trail forever," she explained.

"What makes you think that Alice? Maybe he gave them a small clue so that they wouldn't suspect he knew too much," my father speculated.

"Maybe, but that's not his style," Alice responded.

"Please explain," Jasper asked.

"Don't you guys see it? All Mike wants is attention. He wouldn't pass the opportunity of both removing the FBI and the police from his trail and, becoming the hero who helped solve all of these murders. He gave them a small clue so that they wouldn't be surprised when he found the biggest clue of all," she explained.

"If you are right, Alice, then we better follow the FBI instructions and wait for them to follow Mike to where he's hiding Bella," my father told us with a stern voice.

He was very apprehensive about the plan that Jasper and Emmett had come up with this afternoon. They wanted to confront Mike when he came tomorrow and make him give out Bella's location.

"I agree with Carlisle. Mike's never going to give Bella's location up, no matter how bad you guys beat him up, especially if he has someone else to finish whatever the hell it is that he is planning to do with Bella," Rose added.

"I agree with them, Jasper. I'm not willing to jeopardize Bella's life anymore that it already has. As much as I would like to kill that fucking bastard, getting Bella back is more important. There is too much at stake," I pleaded with them.

"I understand. Based on what Alice deducted, you guys are right," Jasper agreed.

"Damn it, and damn him!" Emmett yelled.

----

The next morning I was riding a wave of nerves and anxiety as I waited for Mike to show up. The plan was to pretend nothing was different and to get him to leave. I was to kick him out in anger and provoke him.

Agent Ford believed that if we made him angry enough, he would be driven to go finish the job, and that meant leading us to Bella.

Emmett, Jasper, and my father were waiting inside my office as I paced around the living room trying to calm myself. I needed to play my part without giving us away or it would be fatal for Bella.

Alice was in the living room with me, crying. She was supposed to be just as upset as I was, the postcard picture of someone who had given up all trace of hope. I knew she had to cry and be upset for her part, but I knew she wasn't acting. She was truly concerned about not reaching Bella on time.

Alice had always been attuned with things that would happen in the future and although she hated being referred to as a psychic, we never bet against her. That scared me… a lot.

I was about to groan in frustration when I finally heard a knock on the door. Immediately Alice started to wail louder, making sure that she could be heard from outside the door.

I opened the door in a swift movement and I stared at the bastard down, my eyes blazing in anger.

"What the fuck do you want Mike? Can't you see this is a bad time?" I asked as soon as I could compose my anger.

"Edward, are you all right?" he asked.

"What do you care, huh? Bella is probably dead somewhere while we seat here scratching our heads about what happened," I spat.

"Don't you fucking dare blame yourself, Edward. She ran away because of Mike. It's his fault not yours," Alice yelled.

"What the fuck did you say to her at the Mall, Mike?" I asked as I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pressed him against the now closed front door.

"How can you people blame me? I've been here with all of you looking for Bella, looking for a woman who no longer loves me. I've humiliated myself over and over as I had to hear you talk about your love for her and how much you missed her. Did it ever occur to you that I miss her too? That I still love her?" Mike asked in anger.

"What kind of asshole cheats on the girl he loves on his wedding day," Alice asked.

"What the fuck do you know, you little bitch," Mike spat back at her as I slapped him hard across the face.

"Don't you dare talk to my sister like that. Get the hell out of here, NOW!" I yelled as I pushed him to the side and opened the front door.

"You selfish motherfucker. You don't care about Bella, If you did, you would've been begging me for help instead of blaming me and kicking me out," Mike screamed. I don't think I had ever seen a face so red in rage.

"She's fucking gone you asshole. We're never getting my baby back and it's all your fault. I fucking hate you. My poor Bella is dead because of you, but make no mistake Mike, I will not rest, I will not stop until I see you behind bars," I yelled as I spat on his face.

"Fuck you, you never deserve her. I know she's alive and I will rescue her and keep her for myself," Mike said as he stomped off.

I closed the door and took a big breath. Talking about Bella already being dead was eating me alive. I hoped that I wasn't right, that I wasn't too late for her.

"Edward, I don't care that the FBI is trained for this, I want to follow that fucker too," Jasper said as he ran out of the apartment.

"Well then, I'm going with you," I said as I ran after him, noticing that Emmett was following too.

It was time to bring my baby home.

**----**

**MPOV**

That fucking asshole and his bitchy sister. Who the fuck did they think they were talking to me in such a way?

He wanted Bella dead, I would show him a dead Bella. It was time to finish the fucking job, the hell with all the plans I had.

I was glad that Edward had survived the cold steel of my dagger because now I had the chance to see the asshole suffer once he discovered all that I had done to Bella. I planned to deliver her dead body to his front door and leave him an entire stack of post-its for prosperity.

It was laughable the way he was blaming me. As if he had any clues. They would never know. I had buried everything and anything that could've pointed to my direction. My dearest friend James was the one who would pay for it all, must likely with his life, and the fucker deserved it.

I rushed to the warehouse, now in a hurry to get to Bella, for once, not caring about my driving. Those assholes were so far up their own asses that they had no clue I had kept Bella close by. They would never know she was under their noses the entire time.

I was so wound up in my own thoughts that I didn't realize that I had been parked in front of the warehouse for a while. I sat back against the car seat as I tried to envision the final act when I heard screams.

James!

I rushed inside and I yelled as I realize that James was cutting Bella. He was playing with my toy and that was not tolerated.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing James? Step away from her NOW!" I yelled from the door.

James instantly stood back as a wave of relief took over Bella's features. _Don't worry babe, I will wipe off that look from your face soon enough,_ I thought to myself.

"I'm so…sor…sorry boss," James said as he moved away from Bella and out of the warehouse. I would have to deal with him later.

"Now Bella, I think is time to finish this up. What do you think?" I asked as I approached her, making sure she could see the dagger in my hand, the dagger that I had picked up for the special occasion.

The bitch fainted.

I freed her from her confines and cradled her in my arms. She reeked. I had given the order a couple of days back for James to withhold all nourishment and water from her. Bella had turned out to be a lot feistier that I could've ever imagined and I needed the final moment to be perfect, and for that she needed to be weak. I wanted Bella to submit to her death like a good little girl, not a single scream.

I moved Bella to the "office" and I threw her down into the dirty mattress. I was beyond frustrated with myself for being unable to claim her pussy, but it didn't matter anymore. Killing her would have to be satisfaction enough for me, and I could live with that.

I kicked the side of her stomach so that I would wake her up, her eyes opening in an instant as she led out a blood curling scream.

"Now, now, you have to be quiet for me babe. I want none of that screaming. Do you hear me?" I asked as she continued to wail.

"See, Bella, the more you cry, the longer I will prolong your torture. I might even decide to start cutting pieces of you, little by little, while you watch if you don't behave, and we don't want that, do we now?" I asked as I caressed the side of her filthy face.

I took the dagger and I ran it all over her torso, being careful of not to cut her yet, while she whimpered.

"Shh, Bella, I need to you to be quiet. Please be a good girl and be quiet for me as I drive my knife inside you, pretty please," I told her.

"NEVER YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE," she screamed as I stabbed her near her stomach.

"NEVER!" she continued to yell as I pulled the knife out and licked her blood from the metal.

I wiped the rest of the blood on a rag I had on the floor before raising it once more. This time I was going to puncture her heart and make my way down her body, one large oozing incision that she would never recover from. The final blow.

"Be a good girl now, be quiet, it will be over soon," I told Bella as I raised the knife in the air and…

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

----

**EPOV**

Jasper, Emmett, and I made our way outside of our apartment building in record time, only to find all of the Agents, including Seth and Jacob standing outside.

"Why are you guys not following him?" I asked as people started getting inside their cars.

"Edward, please go back inside your apartment, we got it from here," Jacob said as he made his way to his vehicle.

"I don't think so Jacob, we are going with you," Jasper said forcefully as he sat inside the back of the car followed by Emmett.

"Let's go, he's getting away," I yelled in frustration while I boarded Agent Ford's car, not giving him a chance to object.

"We placed a tracking device on his car, but we are moving out now. Everyone, let's go. Alpha Team One, you follow us, the rest of you, please be on standby for further instructions, we don't know what we are about to face," Agent Ford commanded as the car took off.

The car ride was tense as we were informed of Mike's direction. The fucker had kept Bella in Richmond, VA, right under our noses.

The next couple of minutes were chaotic. We arrived at what looked to be an abandoned warehouse, and electric fence surrounding it. The team quickly neutralized the fence and started to inch forward to the warehouse.

A man came running from the left side of the building, a shot gun in his hand.

"FREEZE," I heard Jacob demand as the rest of the team scattered around the guy, all of their weapons ready to be fired.

"Fuck you," he yelled as he shot Jacob, causing the rest of the team to fire at him, killing him almost instantly.

Agent Ford directed his team to take place around the building as we heard a blood curling scream.

"NEVER YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!"

It was Bella, she was alive. I couldn't take it anymore. I ran towards the entrance, not caring about all the people screaming at me to stop. I made it inside the nasty place as I trying to adjust my eyes to the dark.

"NEVER!" I heard her yell again, this time the sound was weaker and laced in pain.

I could hear people following behind me as I ran towards what looked to be an office on the far end of the warehouse. I opened the door as I saw Mike raise his knife over a bleeding Bella about to stab her once more.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," I screamed.

Mike stopped, turned his head to the side in order to face me, and smiled at me as he brought the knife down on Bella.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I yelled once again as I was pushed to the side, loud gunshot sounds filling the room.

I took a glance upwards from where I laid on the floor and I witnessed a bullet go straight into Mike's head causing him to fall over Bella.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I screamed once more as I tried to get up.

I ran to where Mike laid on top of my Bella and I pushed his body to the side. I quickly checked to see if Bella was breathing, she wasn't.

"I need the paddles right now," I screamed as the EMT guys approached us.

I started doing CPR as they charged the machine and prepped the paddles. My poor Bella laid there lifeless, her body naked and blue from so many cuts and bruises.

"Step back," I ordered as I brought the paddles to Bella's chest and gave her a shock.

Her body curled upwards as she responded to the shock and took a breath of air. He pulse was slightly stronger but I knew we were losing her. The blood coming from her stomach and chest was pouring out too fast to be contained.

"Press your hand here," I ordered one of the EMT's as I worked quickly trying to stop the bleeding.

Once the bleeding slowed down I gave orders for them to bring the stretcher and I placed Bella there running with them towards the ambulance.

As soon as we placed her in the ambulance, one of the EMT's took on the driving position and sped up to the closest hospital in Richmond.

The other EMT and I worked on hooking Bella up to the monitors and administering an IV. I ordered the EMT to ask the hospital to have O Negative Blood type ready for us when we arrived. A trauma team was already in place waiting for us.

I started to evaluate Bella's largest wounds when the monitor started beeping, her heart had stopped beating. All I could hear was the beeping sound of the monitor as Bella started to succumb to all her wounds.

I was too late.


	21. Lost in the Afterlife

**AN: I own nothing but the plot, Stephenie Myers owns Twilight, no profit is made.**

**Hello my wonderful readers. Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews last chapter. The story made it to 100 reviews and I'm very thankful for all of you. You have been my muse and inspiration in many occasions and I owe it all to you.**

**I know that the last chapter had a terrible cliffy and that many of you wanted me to update right away, and I disappointed you. I post as I write and I tried to get this chapter out faster, but it didn't happen, I hope you can all forgive me.**

**My fabulous Beta is still on vacation, so I apologize if the chapter is not to standard.**

**----**

**EPOV**

I was frozen for a second as Bella went into cardiac arrest. I refused to believe that I had come so close only to lose her. I had to do something short of a miracle to bring her back, but I wasn't going to give up on her.

"Give me some epinephrine, now," I shouted at the EMT.

I quickly injected Bella while the EMT charged the paddles.

"Ready Dr. Cullen," he said.

"Step back, 3…2…1"

Thud

"Again," I shouted as Bella's heart refused to respond.

"3…2…1"

Thud

Nothing

I started to panic.

I continued CPR while I started to beg her not to give up.

"Please baby, don't leave me. Please, Bella, baby, everything is safe now. I'm here with you. Please, baby, come back," I started to sob as I continued pumping into her heart, the EMT working on the oxygen mask.

We were quickly reaching the point of no return and I was getting more than desperate.

"Bella, don't you fucking dare give up on me now. Do you hear me? Don't you dare leave me," I yelled as I pressed into her chest so hard I could hear the crack of a few ribs.

Beep… beep… beep…

I took a deep, shaky breath as the monitor started to show signs of life. Although Bella's skin was covered with bruises and lesions, I could see color come back to her face.

"Oh God, baby, thank you, thank you," I sobbed as we finally reached the hospital.

I quickly scrambled to my feet as a team of nurses removed the stretcher from the ambulance. I heard the EMTs explain everything about Bella's condition as they took her to one of their trauma rooms.

I made it all the way to the entrance of the trauma room when I was stopped by a nurse.

"Sir, you can't go in there, please wait outside," she told me in a soothing voice, yet her undertone was one of urgency.

"I am a doctor and I need to be there with her," I yelled in frustration.

"Edward!" I heard Jasper yell as he came running through the ER doors.

"I need to go in there now," I yelled once more as I ignored Jasper.

"Please, doctor, I understand, but you won't be any good in there right now. She's in very good hands," the nurse explained.

"Edward, please, she's right, let her go back to helping Bella. Everything will be ok now," Jasper told me as he forcefully moved me to the waiting area.

"I almost lost her, Jasper. What if she doesn't make it? This is all my fault. I should've taken better care of her," I said as I broke down in sobs.

"Please Edward, don't blame yourself for this. Everything will be ok now," Jasper repeated as he tried to soothe me.

"Family members of Bella Swan?" I heard a nurse ask.

"I'm Dr. Cullen, her boyfriend, I told her.

"Is there an immediate family member?" she asked.

"No, what's going on? How is she doing?" I asked in desperation.

"She needs to go into surgery right away, we need authorization," she said as I filled the consent forms.

"How is she doing?" I asked again.

"We are doing everything we can, Dr. Cullen, but I don't know if she is strong enough to survive surgery," a doctor said as he approached us.

"I'm Dr. Johnson, we are doing our best," he said as he took in the expression of despair on my face.

"We'll keep you posted," he continued before hurrying away.

----

Three hours later and there were still no news about Bella. So long for keeping us posted, I thought to myself as I paced the now packed waiting room. Everyone was here.

Each one of my siblings sat next to their significant others whispering among themselves. My father and my mother both sat in silence next to Bella's father. Charlie had a hard expression on his face, his knuckles white from his tight grip on the chair.

Agent Lamb and Gage were also at the hospital, Gage no longer having to worry about everyone knowing that he was alive. The rest of the task force was either still at the scene or waiting in another room to hear about Jacob.

Seth would alternate between the two waiting areas as he also waited for Jacob to come out of surgery.

"WHERE IS BELLA?" I heard Renee asked as she entered the waiting room.

Charlie had called her right after arriving at the hospital and told her about Bella's condition. He told her that he didn't want her near Bella again, but not even I would have the heart to enforce such a thing. Renee, just like the rest of us, was fooled by Mike, the perfect con artist.

"What the hell are you doing here, Renee?" Charlie asked between clenched teeth.

"She's my daughter, Charlie. No one is removing me from here," she told him with determination.

"Charlie, please let her stay. This is not the time or the place to be fighting. We all want Bella to get better," my father pleaded as my mom wrapped her arms around a now sobbing Renee and moved her to the chair I was previously occupying.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

"I was such a fool. I've been such a bad mother, always putting social status and money over my own daughter. I realize this now," Renee continued as her sobs grew louder.

"She's never going to forgive me," she screamed in agony.

"You still don't know your own daughter," I yelled, surprising everyone.

I've had it with Renee and her hysterics. This wasn't about her, it was about my angel, my Bella.

"Do you really think she would resent you for anything? She loves you with all she's got. Why can't you see her?" I continued.

"I'm so sorry," was all she managed to say as she grew hysterical.

"I DON'T DESERVE MY OWN DAUGHTER. I SHOULD BE THE ONE DYING IN HER PLACE," she yelled as she fell on the floor and started to hit her head against the wall.

"Please, Renee, you need to calm down," my father said to her as he administered a tranquilizer one of the nurses brought him.

"My poor baby, I did this to her," Renee kept repeating over and over as the medication took effect.

Twenty minutes later Renee was wheeled to a room for observation while we resumed our somewhat quiet wait.

"Bella Swan's family?" Dr. Johnson called as the rest of the family stood up beside me.

"I'm her father. How is my daughter?" Charlie asked in a shaky voice.

"It was an extremely difficult surgery. She had been stabbed on her abdomen, injuring her liver, and also stabbed in the chest, missing the heart my a few inches," Dr. Johnson started.

"We almost lost her a few times while performing the surgery and to be honest her condition is extremely critical. She lost a lot of blood, was malnourished, and has severe trauma in her head, and all over the rest of her body. Her brain is too swollen right now to know if there are going to be any long lasting effects, or if she's going to survive. She is currently on a comma," he continued as I fell to the floor sobbing.

"What has been done to relieve the intracranial pressure, my dad asked as he went into doctor mode.

"Right now, it seems like the swelling it subsiding on its own, and since she is so weak, we decided to wait and see if she would need brain surgery later on," Dr. Johnson explained.

"I want to see her MRI results and I also need to know who I can talk to so that they can authorize me to keep an eye on her as well. I'm a Neurosurgeon at Shady Grove, and in the event brain surgery is needed, I would like to be the one to perform it," my dad explained.

"Yes, of course Dr. Cullen. I actually know who you are, and I'm sure it won't be a problem. Would you like to see her now?" he asked.

"Yes, but I would also like to bring my son. He's also a neurosurgeon, and her boyfriend."

"Not a problem, please follow me," Dr. Johnson instructed as we followed him down the hall.

I was still in a haze as we changed into sterilized scrubs and waited for Dr. Johnson to return with the authorization. Bella was in such critical condition that they wouldn't be allowing the family to see her just yet.

"Please follow me doctors," Dr. Johnson called as he led us to the ICU.

Bella was in a private room within the ICU, and for that I was thankful.

I took a deep breath as I took my first glance of Bella. She looked so tiny and so fragile with all the equipment she was hooked to.

Her skin was even purpler from all the concussions, but she was clean. Her eyes were shut and almost black. I imagined her lips were just as swollen, but it was covered with the intubation materials.

I could hear my father going over Bella's chart and MRI images, but I couldn't focus on that. All I wanted to do was hold onto Bella and never let go of her hand.

"You are doing so good, baby. You've fought so hard. I need you to keep doing just that, keep fighting, please baby. I can't lose you," I whispered against her ear as I took one of her tiny, cold hands between my big, warm ones.

"Son," my father said.

I hadn't realized that Dr. Johnson had left the room as I whispered my love to Bella.

"Be honest dad, is she going to make it?" I asked him as I took another glance at my angel.

"It's hard to say. She is hanging to a thread, but she is fighting hard, Edward. Please know that. The swelling on her brain is minimal, but I would prefer she stay on a comma until she heals a little. Right now her body is too mangled to handle the pain," he explained.

"She has to make it, dad. I would die if she doesn't," I sobbed as my dad placed a hand on my shoulder and brought me into a side hug.

"I know, Edward. I know," he said as he left the room to give me some privacy.

----

**APOV**

It had been five days since we found Bella. They had been the hardest five days of our entire lives.

Bella's situation had gotten better, but not before getting a lot worse. In five days she had two surgeries and her heart stopped beating four times. It was horrible.

It was hard to believe she had been the lucky one, as Jacob didn't make it. His body had been transferred to Washington yesterday for the funeral, and it had been very heartbreaking for all of us, but especially to Bella's dad. He loved Jacob as a son.

It was really hard to witness Edward's state. Every time Bella faced a crisis brought him closer to losing it. Every time she would improve the tiniest bit, he was there to tell her how good she was doing, always encouraging her to keep on fighting.

He refused to leave the hospital, using the doctor's launch area to take short naps and shower. His eyes had a permanent purple cloud all over them, and he was sporting an almost fully grown beard.

The rest of us had been staying at a hotel nearby, taking turns to come to the hospital and spend some time with Edward and Bella. Charlie and Renee were also still here, and their communication was improving with each passing day.

Renee still felt extremely guilty about everything, and she was under the care of a Psychologist at the hospital because she would succumb to panic attacks very often.

Now we were all waiting for the authorization to transfer Bella to Shady Grove hospital to be processed. Bella had been stable for more than twenty fours, and my father felt it was best if she was transferred to where he worked.

The hospital in Richmond had been very accommodating, but they didn't have the state of the art equipment that Shady Grove Hospital did. My father wanted to re-evaluate everything about her case because he was concerned ab out her comatose state. They had stopped inducing the comma a few days before they decided to transfer her and Bella had yet to wake up.

It was a Monday morning on April 8th when Bella was transferred via helicopter to the Shady Grove Hospital in Maryland. Edward and my father were allowed to accompany her on the helicopter while the rest of us drove the two hour drive back to Maryland.

By the time we reached the hospital, Bella had been settled into another ICU private room. Edward was seating on a chair next to her bed as Jasper and I came into the room.

"How is she doing?" I asked.

"She's fine. The trip was uneventful," he answered in a dead tone.

"Edward, now that we are here, I think it would be a good idea if you went home. You look so exhausted, and you could use a few solid hours of sleep," I suggested.

"I can't leave her Alice. I'm so terrified of losing her still. I just can't leave her side."

"Edward, please trust me, she is going to make it. I know she will. I don't know when, but she'll come back to us," I tried to reassure him.

"But what if she wakes up and I'm not here, Alice? I would never be able to forgive myself if that happened. What if it was Jasper on that bed, would you leave him for a couple of hours to do something as mundane as sleeping?" Edward asked.

"I guess I see your point," I sighed in defeat.

"Hang in there bro," Jasper said to him as we left the room.

I was frustrated with Edward and his refusal to rest, but I knew there was nothing I could do to change his mind. I was worried about him getting sick from exhaustion, and I was also worried about his depression. He had turned into a completely different Edward the moment he woke up in the hospital after Bella's disappearance.

The only tiny bit of satisfaction that I had these days was knowing that Mike and his partner were rotting in hell, and that they would never be able to hurt Bella again.

As it turned out Mike Newton was not acting alone. He had recruited the help from someone he bullied non-stop in High School. His name was James Huntington. Together they were responsible for nine murders across the US.

James was the one responsible for killing Seth's sister Leah, and for killing Jacob. The FBI believes that Mike was James "copy cat". He basically adapted the way James killed to fit his own purposes.

Seth explained that Bella and James had been friends in High School, so the FBI was not clear about his motivation for helping Mike. The way Seth explained it, Bella was the only person who would talk with James and would defend him from Mike and Leah's constant attacks.

It was so unfair that Bella had to go through all of that. She was such a wonderful, sensible, and humble person. She went out of her way to help others and never had anything bad to say about anyone, even those who had harmed her.

All I hoped was for this nightmare to be over, for Bella to wake up from her comma and for her and Edward to resume their relationship. I knew the road ahead was going to be extremely difficult for both of them, but I also knew that they would survive it together, and that at the end they would be as happy, if not happier than they were before.

----

**EPOV**

Six weeks, two days, and five hours. That was how long Bella had been on a comma. Although all the swelling in her brain had vanished, she was still somewhere out in the afterlife.

She had been breathing on her own for three weeks and she almost looked like my angel now. Most of the bruises had vanished, and most of the superficial cuts were a light pink color. Her broken hip bones and ribs were also in the mend, but those would take a least a couple more weeks before they were healed, and a lot of physical therapy after that for the bones to be strong again.

She was now in a private room out of the ICU, and other than the fact that she wasn't waking up, she was no longer in danger of dying. However, I was still hesitant about leaving her side. Other than quick showers and meals, I was at her room all the time.

Our family, and that included Renee and Charlie, would take turns throughout the day visiting Bella, but not a single day went by that they all missed a visit. Angela and Ben would also come as often as her shifts would allow them. They were both shocked and sad about everything that had happened to Bella.

Everyone would stop by and talk to Bella, tell her stories, jokes, and sometimes even read her the paper or other story that they deemed important. The girls would come over and wash her hair, put moisturizer all over her body, and sometimes even a little bit of makeup.

My mother would come in twice a day to massage and exercise Bella's good limbs. She had also taken the charge of reading Bella her classic romantic novels, such as _Wuthering Heights _and_ Pride and Prejudice_.

I often found the most comfort from Gage. He too had survived terrible wounds in what we know now were the hands of Mike. He had been in a comma, just like Bella was, and he had manage to recuperate fully and was doing really well. However he shared my biggest concern, the psychological drama that would undoubtedly come after such an ordeal.

Gage mentioned that he suffered from terrible nightmares. He would relive over, and over what happened to him that night. The nightmares had gotten a little better, but they were still there.

I couldn't begin to imagine why it would be like for Bella. She was kidnapped for almost a month, tortured endlessly by two very sick individuals.

She was my Angel sent to me to save me from my own desperation and she had been beaten, broken down, and stomped on by the two most evil people I had ever known about. Bella, the one person who would have given her life to save either one of them, just because she could, because of who she was.

I sighed as I stared at my beautiful Angel. I stood up from my seat and made my way towards the side of her bed, carefully picking her up and moving her a bit so that I could lay down next to her.

I did the same thing every night. It was the only way I could sleep. The only way I wouldn't relieve Mike's smile as he plunged the knife into Bella's chest. I was glad that the nurses knew me and would allow it, because my need to be closer to Bella grew as the days went by.

----

It had now been two months since Bella had been in a comma. Nothing in our routine had changed other than our increased efforts to gain a response from her. With each passing day she would look more and more like my Bella, but she was still gone.

I wanted desperately for her to wake up. I wanted to see her smile, to hear her voice. I missed the way her hair would smell after her evening shower, her sweet voice, her warm hugs, the way her nose would wrinkle when she didn't like something, and the way she frowned when she was in deep concentration.

I missed the feel of her warm body as we made love, our long conversations about classic books and the new literary doom we were being forced into. I missed her quick footsteps and happy squeals every time I came home as she would run to me and jump in my arms.

One of my biggest concerns was that even after she woke up, I wouldn't get any of that back, that the Bella that I knew and loved would be gone forever. _Could I love her if she was completely different?_ Of course I could. She was my soul mate.

"Hello, Edward. How's Bella doing today?" I heard Angela ask as she entered the room.

"Still the same," I responded sadly.

"It looks like she's getting some more color on her skin," Angela pointed out as she stroked Bella's hair.

"Yeah, she's definitely getting better," I whispered.

"What's wrong?" Angela asked.

"Nothing," I lied.

"Edward, please talk to me. You know that you can trust me. Tell me, what's the matter?" she begged as she started to brush Bella's hair.

"I don't know where to begin. I feel so freaking selfish for feeling the way I've been feeling and I'm ashamed of myself."

"What are you talking about?" She asked in a concerned voice.

"I've been so angry lately. All I want is for her to wake up, for me to look into her eyes and for once see life in them. I have so many worries. What if she never recovers? What if she's different? What if she hates me for not protecting her?"

"Edward, first of all, it's normal to feel angry and frustrated. We are doctors and we have dealt with many families feeling the same way you feel right now. I know that your anger is not directed at her, and I know that you know that," she began.

"I also understand your worries. We all feel the same way. There is nothing I want more than for my best friend, my sister, to wake up from that comma, but right now she is healing, and that's what matters," Angela continued.

"Stop beating yourself up over this. Bella loves you, and she's fighting so that she can be back with you. You just need faith; you need to believe that your love for each other is a lot stronger than this. And for the last time, please stop blaming yourself for what those sick bastards did to her. Mike would have hurt her even if she never met you, that's the kind of person he was.,"

"Thanks Angela," I said as I moved to give her a hug.

"I really needed to hear that. Thank you!" I repeated.

"That's what friends are for," she shrugged as she placed a small kiss on Bella's forehead and started to hum a tune for her.

"How's Ben?" I asked as I realized that she had arrived alone.

"He's doing well. We're considering moving down here this summer, and transferring my residency. Do you think that's a good idea?" she asked.

"Honestly, John Hopkins is the best hospital in the area. Don't give that up. You only have two more years before your residency is over, and I assure you, they will fly by," I tried to reassure her.

"But we wanted to be closer to you guys," Angela stated.

"We're not that far. Trust me, it'll be worth it if you stay in Baltimore. We'll go visit as often as possible."

"Thanks, Edward. Ben feels the same way, but after what happened to Bella I've been feeling guilty about us being so far away from each other. I took so many things for granted. This whole situation has opened my eyes to what's important," she said.

"Saving lives is also important, and for that you have to get the best training possible. You will do great once you finish your residency, and then you can move and live anywhere you like," I reassured her.

Angela stayed for another hour before she had to go back home. I was feeling a lot better after her visit. She listened to all I had to say, and gave me very good advice, but she also made me feel useful by asking for my help in making such an important decision.

The next day was a flurry of activity as everyone took turns visiting. Saturdays and Sundays were the busiest days for us as everyone was off from work.

The first to come was Charlie. He visited with Bella for half an hour, telling her stories from her childhood and how much he loved her. After Charlie left, my mother and Renee came for a visit. My mother read to Bella as Renee worked on Bella's legs and arms in an attempt to keep her muscles from stiffening.

Right after, it was Alice and Rose's turn. They told me to take a break while they showered and pampered Bella. When I came back to the room, Bella had on a little bit of makeup and smelled like fresh strawberries.

Emmett, Jasper, and Gage were the last to visit. They took turns telling Bella jokes and making plans for when she woke up. When all the guys visited I often found myself hoping that Bella was unable to hear all the silly stuff that came out of their mouth.

After everyone had gone for the day, I moved to a little table that had been set at the far end of the room and hit the play button on my iPod. Being a doctor here gave me certain benefits, and one of them was being allowed to have my iPod and docking station in the room and play it for Bella.

Often I would play some of the compositions that I had written and recorded a long time ago. Other times I played songs that I knew she liked, or songs that fit my mood. Today I decided to play a little Dido. Bella loved _Here With Me_ and I hadn't played that song for her yet.

I settled in my usual spot next to Bella, as the soft lyrics started to fill the room.

_I didn't hear you leave  
I wonder how am I still here  
And I don't want to move a thing  
It might change my memory_

I glanced at Bella's peaceful profile as I started to sing the lyrics.

_Oh I am what I am  
I do what I want  
But I can't hide_

And I won't go  
I won't sleep  
I can't breathe  
Until you're resting here with me

And I won't leave  
I can't hide  
I cannot be  
Until you're resting here with me

Tears started to run down my face as the meaning of the words hit me. It was as if she was singing to me and my determination to not move until Bella was awake.

_I don't want to call my friends  
For they might wake me from this dream  
And I can't leave this bed  
Risk forgetting all that's been_

Oh I am what I am  
I do what I want  
But I can't hide  


_And I won't go  
I won't sleep  
I can't breathe  
Until you're resting here with me_

"I love you so much, baby," I whispered to Bella as I stroked her face. I placed small butterfly kisses all over her jaw line, and then took one of her hands in mine and I brought it to my face.

_I won't go  
And I won't sleep  
And I can't breathe  
Until you're resting here with me_

And I won't leave  
I can't hide  
I cannot be  
Until you're resting here with me

Oh I am what I am  
_I do what I want  
But I can't hide_

And I won't go  
I won't sleep  
And I can't breathe  
Until you're resting here with me

My sobs grew louder as I place her tiny hand back on the bed and watched intently at her face. I missed her deep, rich brown eyes. I missed the way you could get lost in them, the way they would sometimes reflect what was Bella, and yet other times remain mysterious and dark.

"Wake up, my baby? I miss you so, so much," I whimpered.

_I won't leave  
I can't hide  
I cannot be  
Until you're resting here_

And I won't go  
And I won't sleep  
And I can't breathe  
Until you're resting here with me

I won't leave  
I can't hide  
I cannot be  
Until you're resting here with me

I placed a soft kiss against her lips, letting my lips linger in hers for a little while I regained my composure. I moved my head back, and stared at her gorgeous features, willing her to open her eyes.

A Blue October song started to play as I placed my hand once again against the delicate softness of her face. I moved my fingers so that I could stroke her cheeks when I felt something wet brush against my fingertips.

I gasped as I realized that there were tears running down Bella's face. That's when I noticed that her body was shaking, her hands gripping the sheets on the bed.

"Bella, love, can you hear me?" I asked as I moved from the bed and started to examine her.

"Bella?" I asked once again.

I gasped once more as she opened her eyes, her beautiful chocolate eyes squinting in an effort to focus.

"Bella!" I exclaimed as I pushed the Nurse Station Button.

"Yes Dr. Cullen?" I heard one of the nurses ask.

"Please page Dr. Martinez and my father. Bella's awake," I instructed her.

Bella was awake.

Bella was awake

My beautiful angel was awake.

I sang the same words over and over in my head as Bella let out a small whimper.

"Baby? Can you hear me? Do you think you can talk?" I asked as I grabbed her hand.

She squeezed my hand softly as she carefully moved her head so she could face me, a look of confusion crossing her features before softening into what looked like deep relief.

She started to sob as her grip on my hand intensified.

"Baby, is alright, you are safe now. Everything is going to be alright," I tried to reassure her. I figured she was confused and scared and I wanted to make her feel at ease.

"Eh… Eh…" I heard her whisper before she cleared her throat.

"It's alright, honey, you don't need to talk right now. Everything its fine," I continued as she became more and more agitated.

"Bella, please calm down, baby. Please take a deep breath for me, and calm down," I calmly instructed her. She was getting herself so worked up that she started to hyperventilate.

"You…" she whispered again.

"What is it?" I asked as I realized that she wouldn't calm down until she told me what she had to say.

A soft smile appeared on her face as she pressed her eyes shut in concentration and cleared her throat once again.

"You are alive," she whispered in a harsh voice, surely from not speaking in so long.

"Yes baby, and so are you," I said as I placed a small kiss on her lips.

"I … I love you," she whispered before closing her eyes one more time.

----

**So there are only one or two chapters left. As a token of my appreciation, I would love to hear your ideas about how you would like this story to end and I will do my best to incorporate some of them, so please let me know what's on your mind!!**


	22. Vital Signs

**AN: Stephenie Meyer owns twilight. No profit is made or intended.**

Hello Everyone!! Thank you once again for all the wonderful reviews, you guys are so inspirational, I truly appreciate the time each of you took to relay your thoughts. You are all the best!

As we are nearing the end of this story, I thought it would be appropriate to thank so people who have been extremely loyal to this story from the very begging.

**Jagga-Love**, my Beta and sounding board. She gave me the push to write the story and publish it, and has been awesome. You have been missed, please come back soon!!

**Mylion Mylamb- **Your story _Ready Made Family_, both moved me and gave me the bravery to post my own. Thank you so much for being there for me and for all of our wonderful conversations.

**Katherine Rosalie Hale**- You gave me such a large head when you said my story was your top 3 favorite. Thank you so much for all the thoughtful reviews and for inspiring me to keep on writing with your enthusiasm.

**Beate73**- You have become a god friend and great sounding board. Thank you for being by beta for this chapter, you rock my world!! Please check out her story _Magnetism_, it's at the beginning stages but it already shows a lot of promise.

**Jonshi**- My dearest husband. Thank you for reading and supporting my story and for reviewing every single chapter. If you haven't read his reviews, you should, they are all hilarious. I love you baby!!

Ok, now I feel like I'm at the Oscars and it's been twenty minutes since they played my cue to leave the stage.

Enjoy!!

**----**

**BPOV**

I was floating. My body no longer there, my mind focused on a single purpose, escape. _Was this the afterlife? Would I find my love?_ I floated in a sea of darkness all by myself, for how long? I would never know.

Things had taken a turn for the worse. Mike had come back to the warehouse with the sole intent of killing me, and there was nothing anyone could do at that point. I was going to die. I didn't know if I felt happy, relieved, or terrified. Most likely I felt a combination of all three.

I was sad, very sad. I had so many things I wanted to say. So many milestones I wanted to accomplish. Death was surely bitter and premature and the only consolation I had was the possibility of meeting the true love of my life in the ever after. _Was this the fairytale they sold on children's books?_

In those final moments I had received a gift. A gift so amazing, so wonderful that if I could have, I would have smiled. I heard his voice.

"Noooooooo," it screamed.

Then I saw him, my fallen Angel. He had come to take me with him. So I left, but could not understand why I was alone. I wanted to find my angel, to smell his scent, caress his hair and bury myself in those strong, steady arms. _Where was he?_

That's how I ended up floating endlessly in this dark, soothing world. I took comfort in my own thoughts. I replayed every action and every event in my mind, just like an endless movie. I felt great.

However, as it happens with everything, all good things had to come to an end. I started feeling a pull towards a different place and I felt helpless against its strength.

At first I tried to fight it. I simply wanted to stay where I was. I wanted to stay with all my memories, reliving the things that had made me immensely happy, but it was useless. There was no fighting the bright white light.

As if the pull wasn't enough, I started to smell his scent. The wonderful Edward scent. _Was this how we would meet? Would we find each other in this endless tunnel?_

It was at that point that I grew restless. I wanted to reach the end of the tunnel and enter the brightness. I wanted to find out if Edward was waiting for me on the other side. I needed to see him, feel him this instant.

That's how I slowly made my way towards the light. It was strange. Dido was playing in the background and I could hear someone sobbing next to me. This certainly did not feel like heaven.

Suddenly the weight of my body claimed me and I landed just like an airplane would land on the earth. I was awake.

I could feel every single inch of my body. I could hear him too, my Edward.

I tried to open my eyes, but the felt impossibly heavy. I struggled with myself trying not to go airborne once more, but the fight was hard.

I felt tears start to run down my face, and that's when I felt him. His touch was unforgettable. I knew it was my angel. He was waiting for me.

"Wake up, my baby? I miss you so, so much," Edward whimpered.

More tears ran down my face as I tried my hardest to respond. I wanted to open my eyes and tell him that I could hear him, that I had finally found him again.

I felt his wonderful, soft lips against mine. They lingered against mine for a little, but too soon, the lips were gone. I continued to struggle while it grew quiet. Then I heard a gasp.

"Bella, love, can you hear me?"

I felt his weight shift from what I assumed was a bed. I could suddenly hear the monitors that only a hospital would have. _Where was I?_ I wondered as I continued to struggle, trying to open my eyes. I needed to see for myself that he was here, and that perhaps, he was alive?

"Bella?" Edward asked once again.

I could hear the strain in his voice and I fought harder, successfully opening my eyes this time. I blinked several times trying to focus, and that's when I saw him.

My Angel.

My Love.

My Edward.

"Bella!" he exclaimed excitedly as I tried to gather my thoughts.

_Was I dreaming? Was this some sick joke?_ I couldn't understand how both Edward and I seemed to be alive. I tried to look for any indication that this was some sick, twisted, dream, but was jolted when I received confirmation that we were both alive.

"Yes, Dr. Cullen?" I heard a nurse ask through some sort of intercom. We were definitely alive. At least I hoped we were.

"Please page Dr. Martinez and my father. Bella's awake," I heard Edward say in a nervous, but excited voice.

We stared at each other for a moment while his eyes grew more, and more excited. God, how had I missed those wonderful green orbs.

"Baby? Can you hear me? Do you think you can talk?"

I thought about that for a second before squeezing his strong arms softly. I felt very weak and tired but I didn't want to go to sleep. I was afraid that I would lose him forever if I did.

_God, he was alive. Mike didn't kill him_, I thought to myself as I started to sob in relief.

"Baby, is alright, you are safe now. Everything is going to be alright," he tried to reassure me as I continued to sob. Of course I was safe now, he was here with me. I was never going to leave his side, ever again.

I swallowed hard, feeling for the first time the scorching of my throat.

"Eh…Eh" I said as I tried to call his name, but it came out in a harsh whisper.

"It's alright, honey, you don't need to talk right now. Everything is fine," he told me as I increased my efforts. I needed to talk now.

"Bella, please calm down, baby. Please take a deep breath for me, and calm down," he said in a calm, soothing voice, but I couldn't do that. This whole thing was not going to be real until I spoke.

I focused my efforts once more and I concentrated on the word I wanted to say.

"You…" I whispered in the same hoarse voice. I sighed in frustration.

"What is it?"

"You are alive," I finally managed to say as a small smile crept on his face.

"Yes baby, and so are you," he whispered before kissing me softly on the lips once more.

"I," I started. "I love you," I said before closing my eyes once again. I could sleep now. Everything was going to be fine.

----

I drifted in and out of sleep as time passed. I was able to stay awake for brief moments and talk to my friends and family, but at the end, I was always very exhausted.

All of my friends and family were here. They would visit at least every day, sometimes twice a day. I felt truly lucky to have them.

During my brief periods of consciousness I learned that Gage was alive and in love. He was dating the FBI Agent that had protected him all this time, and he was smitten with her. They really made a good couple.

I also learned the terrible news about Jacob. I felt so guilty about his death. He had died trying to defend me and I knew I would never be able to forgive myself for that. I would miss my friend with all my heart and it was a hole that had been opened in my soul, a hole that would never close.

Luckily, both Mike and James had perished on the rescue attempt. I still didn't know how to feel about the fact that two lives had been wasted, but at the same time it was hard to feel sorry for two individuals so evil, so cruel.

My time with them had been the most terrifying, the most horrifying, the most nerve wrecking time I could have ever imagined. I was sure to have nightmares for the rest of my life. I would never fully comprehend why they did all those things to me, or why they wanted me dead.

Charlie had been staying in Maryland, at my apartment with Edward, since my disappearance. He had fully accepted Edward and our relationship, and had an immense respect for him. I couldn't be happier.

My mother was another story. She had asked me for forgiveness several times, but I wasn't ready to forgive and forget. Unknowingly she had been a key player in all this mess and all because she had never respected me as an individual. She was so set in her greedy ways that she had failed to see me for who I was. It hurt me deeply to think of all the times she sided with Mike.

I knew that I would forgive her at some point, but not until I felt ready. Surprisingly she seemed to understand that, and other than her insistence to apologize, she was making every effort to respect my wishes.

Alice, Rose, and Angela had become the rehab patrol. Angela had taken some vacation time and was staying at Rose's place along with Alice, so she could visit me here as often as possible.

Although I was not strong enough to leave my hospital bed yet, they would come and massage my arms and feet, brush my hair, and put makeup on my face. I tried to complaint about the hair and makeup, but I was quickly dismissed by Alice saying it was good for the soul and health.

Esme and Carlisle would also visit often. Carlisle, of course, was my doctor, and Esme had taken the task of reading to me my favorite romance novels. Her words were kind and soothing as she read the story at times when I needed solace the most, when I had nightmares.

I learned that Edward had refused to leave my side for a single second since the moment they found me. While I thought it was really sweet, I started to grow concerned about his mental state, and I ordered him to take a days rest and sleep before coming back to see me.

He was extremely reluctant, but at the end relented. I regretted it the moment he left. I was missing him terribly.

Albeit everything that we had both gone through, our love for each other had only grown stronger. The few moments that I had for myself were spent in deep thoughts about our future. I wanted so much more from him, and from life in general. It was a conversation I was saving from when I felt better.

As time passed, I started to regain my strength. I was able to stay awake for a longer time each day. I was starting to feel better and I was excited at the prospect of leaving the hospital and going to our home, the home I shared with the love of my life.

----

**EPOV**

I was the happiest man on earth. Bella was recuperating at an impressive pace and today was the day that we would take her home.

Of course, she would have to continue her physical therapy for several months, along with visits to a Psychiatrist, but together we would overcome all of that as we had done the rest.

I stepped out of Bella's hospital room to call Alice. We had planned a surprise welcome home get together with all of our friends and family, and I wanted to make sure everything was in place.

"_Hello?"_ Alice asked as she answered her phone.

"Hi, Alice. Is everything ready?" I asked.

"_Of course everything's ready. Who do you think you're talking to, huh?"_ she asked in mock anger.

"The great Ali, of course," I said trying to earn some brownie points from my sister.

"_When are you guys leaving the hospital?"_ she asked with impatience.

"We are leaving in a few minutes, so we should be there in twenty minutes."

"_Great, I can't wait,"_ she said before hanging the phone on me, muttering something about flowers and balloons.

I felt giddy as I entered Bella's room and I smiled brightly at her as I saw her struggling to get her gown off.

"In a hurry?" I asked as I wiggled my eyebrows, causing her to scowl at me.

"Definitely," she said in a serious tone before winking at me.

"Then let me help you with that so we can get out of here," I said as I started to approach her.

"No," she said with determination, successfully stopping me in my tracks.

"I don't want you to see how ugly I have become," she whimpered as tears started to run down her face.

"Oh, baby," I said as I moved to where she was and embraced her.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the world. To me, there is no other beauty in this earth that can compare," I said truthfully as I removed her hospital gown, leaving her to stand in her underwear.

Instinctively, she moved her arms towards her chest so that she could cover her front torso, but I stopped her.

"These scars here," I said as I pointed to the two pronounced scars on her chest and abdomen, "are proof of how strong you are. They are witness of all that you have had to overcome, and all that you have survived. These scars make you even more beautiful, they are the true testament of our love, just like my scar," I finished as I lifted my own shirt and showed her a similar scar to hers on my chest.

"We are survivors, and we should be proud of that. Please, baby, never forget that," I said as I cleaned the tears from her face with the corner of my shirt.

"I… love… you… Edward," Bella managed to say between sobs.

"I know, baby. I love you too. More than words can ever express," I whispered against her ear before nibbling on it, and placing a small kiss.

She sighed as she wrapped her arms around my neck and crashed her lips against my own. It was the first time since she had woken up from her coma that she had initiated a kiss, and it gave me hope.

"How about we get you dressed and take you home, baby?" I asked as I grabbed her t-shirt from the bed and helped her with it.

"Home," she sighed in contentment.

I gave my own sigh as I realized that we had a long road ahead of us. Bella was going to need a lot of reassuring, a lot of patience, a lot of love, and a lot of understanding in order to start to heal the wounds that her soul, her core, had suffered. The physical wounds were a miniscule reminder of all that she had been through.

We made it to our apartment twenty minutes later and I couldn't help the smile that escaped me as I thought of the surprise we had prepared for Bella. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, my other hand holding her bag, as I knocked on our own door.

"Why are you knocking," Bella asked as we heard fast approaching footsteps. We had decided that given all she had been through it would not be a good idea to jump from behind the couch and yell surprise. Instead, everyone would be seating in the living room, waiting quietly for her to get inside.

Alice opened the door before I could answer Bella's question.

"Bella!" she exclaimed. "You're finally here!" she continued as she kissed her cheek and pulled her in for a hug.

"Alice," I warned as she stepped back and gave me a sheepish look.

"What are you doing… what is everyone doing here?" Bella asked as she entered the living room.

"Welcome home sweetheart," my mother said as she stood up from her place in the couch and walked towards Bella.

"I'm so glad to see you here again," she whispered softly before giving Bella a kiss on her cheek and patting her head.

"Welcome home!" everyone else said as one by one, they all gave Bella hugs and whispered sweet things in her ears.

"Thank you, you guys are too much," Bella said her eyes filled with tears.

"I don't know if I could have made it without you, all of you," she sobbed.

We spent the afternoon talking about non-sense, just enjoying each other's company. It was nice to have the entire family home, but even nicer to finally have Bella were she belonged.

Slowly, one by one, all of our friends and family started to depart until only Bella, Charlie, and I were left.

"Well kids, I am sorry to say, but I think it's time I headed back to Forks," Charlie said.

"Oh daddy, thanks so much for being here for me. I love you so much. I'm going to miss you a lot," Bella said with sadness.

"I love you too squirt. You have no idea how proud I am of you. You are much better than I can ever strive to be," Charlie said as his eyes welled with unshed tears.

"Please take good care of my little girl, Edward," he said turning to look at me as I nodded.

"With my life," I said.

"I know it," he responded before giving Bella a peck on her forehead and retreating for the night.

"Are you tired?" I asked Bella as I noticed her yawn.

"It's been a very long day," she said.

"Would you like to take a bath with me before bed?" I asked in a hopeful tone.

"Yes, she whispered in a shy voice as I led her to our master suite.

Bella sat on the bed as I started the bath water and pulled out my favorite bubble bath bottle. Once I was satisfied with the water temperature and the depth of the bath water, I made it back into the bedroom.

She was still on the bed, a faraway look on her face.

"Are you ready?" I asked her, bringing her back from her thoughts.

"I hurt you so much," she whispered.

"Right here, in this room. I said horrible things that I didn't mean and I regret them all," she sobbed.

"Bella, baby, please look at me," I said as I stroked her cheek and cupped her chin, moving her face so that she could meet my gaze.

"I'm not going to lie and tell you that it didn't hurt, but I want you to be clear about something. There wasn't a single word you said that night that I believed. I knew you were lying, now I know because you were trying to protect me, but I wasn't buying anything that came out of your mouth," I explained.

"But, how can you be here with me, in this same room, if I can't even begin to forgive myself?" she asked as she cast her eyes downward.

"Because there is nothing to forgive, love. Please understand that I love you, and there is nothing you can say or do to change that. You need to stop blaming yourself. This was not your fault. Please let go of all that guilt, baby. It's the only way you can start to heal," I said.

"Oh Edward," she sobbed. "You deserve so much better than me. I'm scarred, broken, and I broke your heart."

"NO, Bella, please listen to me. I couldn't live without you, you are far more than I deserve, and I truly feel lucky and blessed to have you in my life," I said sternly.

"But…" she tried to say before I interrupted her.

"Please hear me out," I begged.

"All those torturous days that you spent locked away by Mike, I felt as if a part of me was dying slowly. I felt empty, broken, and guilty. I never want to feel that way again, ever," I continued.

"You are my life now, and I want to make sure I show you how much I mean that," I said before moving towards our dresser, and pulling out the small box that contained something I had bought months ago, in hopes of taking things further with Bella.

Her eyes went wide as she caught sight of the box.

"Edward…" she said but I placed my finger on her lips in an attempt to silence her.

"Bella, my love," I said as I bended down on one knee and too hold of her hand.

"You are my other half, the part of my puzzle that was missing for so long. I want to give you the world. I want to make you happy, and erase all of those bad moments from your head. I want to make babies with you, and parade you proudly as my wife. Would you marry me, Bella?"

She gasped.

Then she started to shake as I open the teal color box and took out the delicate Tiffany ring.

"Would you do me the honor of being my wife?" I asked.

"Yes, Edward, yes," she exclaimed as I stood up and wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her, trying to convey all the love that I held for her.

As soon as we broke out for air, I took her left arm in mine and kissed her wedding finger before sliding the band in it. It was a perfect fit.

"I love you so much, baby," I whispered against her ear as she stared at her now ring clad finger.

"I love you too, Edward, with my entire being," she said as she crashed her lips against mine once more.


	23. Eternal Bliss

**AN: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. No profit is made or intended.**

**Hello Ladies and Gents!! Here is the very last chapter of BHAFA. I want to thank you all for joining me on such a wonderful ride, and I hope that you like the ending as much as you liked the story!! **

**Thank you Beate and Ashley for all your hard work and help!!**

**----**

**BPOV**

Today was the day, our day. After planning this for so long, today was the day I would be marrying my soul mate. Gone were the doubts in my mind about taking this step. This time around I was more than ready to be one with the one I loved, to unite my life with another for the rest of my time.

Life had been anything but easy up to this point since the attack. Some nights, I had such horrific nightmares that it took me a while to realize that I was home and safe, and not at the mercy of James and Mike.

The physical rehabilitation had been long and strenuous, but nothing compared to the emotional scars that I still carried within me. I had been beaten, molested, kicked, and branded. I would forever carry the scars of what happened to me.

The first three months after leaving the hospital were the hardest. I would wake up every night, sometimes several times, screaming in fear. Luckily Edward had stood by me through all of that, and hadn't left me alone for a single moment. He would always embrace me with his warm, strong arms, the only place I truly felt safe.

As soon as I was given the all clear from my physical therapy, I went to Forks. I needed to say goodbye to my friend Jacob. It still clawed at my heart that he had sacrificed his life in order to save mine. Most of the time I didn't felt worthy of such sacrifice, I felt ashamed and sad that it was because of me that his life had been cut short.

_I remember arriving at Forks on a late summer afternoon in August. The day was much cooler than you would expect for a summer day, but this was Forks after all. I first visited Charlie. After the attack, our relationship had become more solid. We no longer held our emotions towards each other, we spoke them freely and with all the love a father and daughter could feel towards one another._

_The next day I headed to the reservation after having an argument with Edward about me going alone, but I needed to do this. I needed to close that chapter of my life on my own._

_By the time I arrived at the small dilapidated house that brought me so many memories, I was clammy and shaky from my nervousness. I watched from the car as Billy came out of the front door. His gaze told me that he had been waiting for this moment for a very long time and I gulped as I felt my nervousness increase. Would he be mad at me? Did he blame me for Jacob's death? I knew that I blamed myself, so why wouldn't he._

_I made my way out of the rental car slowly, my hands shaking in fear. I didn't feel fear for my life or well being, but I was very afraid of being rejected by these people. I didn't think I could handle them turning their back of me due to what I had done to their future leader. I had let them down and I was so very ashamed of myself._

"_Bella, it's so nice to see you," Billy said as he wheeled his chair closer to where I was standing._

_I sighed in relief as I realized that he was not going to yell at me, that they didn't hate me. A sob caught in my throat as I embraced Billy, the familiar tobacco and mint scent floating in the air around us, bringing back so many happy memories._

"_I'm so, so sorry, Billy," I managed to say between sobs._

"_My child, what are you sorry for?" Billy asked perplexed._

"_Jacob died because of me. I don't deserve your love and understanding. You should all hate me," I cried._

"_Bella, this was not your fault. Stop blaming yourself. Everyone here loves you like a daughter, a sister, a friend. Anyone here would have gladly given their lives in order to save yours. You might not be a Quileute, but you are still one of ours." He said in a stern voice._

"_But…" I started._

"_But nothing, my child. Jacob died in the line of duty. He died doing what he loved, protecting others. He died with honor knowing that he was doing what he was meant to do, serve and protect. We all loved him and miss him, but we couldn't be prouder of him. He left us like a true Quileute warrior." Billy continued as he cleaned the tears from my face._

_After greeting everyone in the tribe, I was led by Seth, Quil, and Embry to Jacobs resting place. I fell on my knees as I was gripped in pain. I cried for what seemed like hours for my friend, for the things that I had endured, for all the things I almost lost, for my mother, for my friends and family, for my love, and lastly for me. _

_I felt as if a huge weight was being lifted from my body, letting me breathe for the very first time since the attack. I left Forks with a new bounce in my step, a new determination to move forward, to heal, and to forget. For the very first time since those tragic events, I was truly looking forward to what was to come, to my future._

Later that month I received a visit from Renee. This time it was me who had invited her. I wanted to patch things in our relationship for good.

We spoke for hours, like never before, like a true mother and daughter. We talked about her life with Phil, her hobbies, her plans for the immediate future. We also talked about my wedding, my life with Edward, and my rehabilitation. Then we talked about the past. All the mistakes we both made.

She was never the mother I needed. She acted more like a friend, always trying to spin things in a fun way while trying to instigate in me the desire to be better in life by marrying rich. I was never the daughter she should have had. I had instead taken on the role of a parent as I tried, sometimes unsuccessfully, to become my own person, to have my own desires, my own goals.

We cried for all the past mistakes and became giddy, discussing the future. She was genuinely happy about my relationship with Edward and our plans to marry. She wanted nothing more than to be allowed to be part of our lives as we became our own family, hoping to someday be a better person to her grandchildren.

By the time we parted, we were feeling at ease with each other. For the very first time in our lives we felt like a true mother and daughter, and I was excited about getting to know my mother in that role.

The next several months went by in a blur. My life consisted of two main things, getting better, and planning my wedding with Edward, well, as much planning as Alice would allow that is.

Edward and I had planned for a spring wedding, hoping to give me enough time to feel better. We both knew that I would never be completely over what happened, but we were working hard in healing.

Edward needed to heal just as much as I did. He needed to get over the weeks of guilt and desperation that he suffered, and all the separation anxiety that he gained. He needed to let go of his fear of losing me after witnessing my heart stop so many times.

There had been countless nights were I had found him wide awake, staring at me. It was as if he was trying to convince himself that I was real, that I was really there with him. We spent many times crying in each other's embrace, holding on for dear life, afraid that if we let go, the world around us would crumble into a thousand small pieces.

Neither of us had gotten back to work. We had decided that since we had enough money, in my case savings, to carry us over for a few years that we would just focus on each other and on healing. We had both joined a martial arts class, a yoga class, and we spent a lot of our time in therapy.

I had my own therapy sessions, he had his own therapy sessions, and then we had a joined therapy session, all with different doctors. Sometimes it felt as if all we did was go to therapy, but neither could deny how much it had helped us both individually and as a couple.

Slowly, our lives started to revolve more around our future than our past. I knew we were on the mend when our therapy sessions together were spent talking about our future plans, where to live, what to do for a living, did we want children, and what were our next steps.

As the year anniversary of the attack approached, I felt a new sense of empowerment. I had a renewed strength and a completely different outlook in life. That day I was surrounded by friends and family for the entire day.

No one spoke about the attack, Mike, James, Jacob, and Jessica. None of it. We spent time as a family, loving and caring for one another. That day I found out that Gage and Charley were getting married the summer after our wedding. We also found out that Rose and Emmett were expecting their first child and that they were moving into a house on the outskirts of Bethesda.

Alice and Jasper had also built a new home near them, and still carried the newlywed afterglow. Everything in our lives was falling into place.

----

"Earth to Bella," Alice said in a playful tone as she put the final touches to my makeup.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm more than alright, Alice. Today I'm becoming Mrs. Cullen," I said in excitement.

Everyone in the room chuckled at that and I felt thankful once more that life was once again light and happy.

"You look like an angel," my mom said as I stood up from the vanity chair and lifted my arms in the air so they could help me with my dress.

All of my girls were here. Alice was my maid of honor, Rose, Angela and my new best friend Charley, my bridesmaids. Esme and Renee were also in the room with me, both looking at me with pride.

"Alright girls, let's get this over with. Now be very careful, if I see any makeup on that dress, I'm going to throw a fit," Alice warned with a chuckle. We had all started calling her the wedding mistress, since she couldn't be called a Bridezilla.

After negotiating the gown, the shoes, the veil, and another round of makeup, I was left alone to admire my dress and get into the moment.

I stared at the image being reflected by the mirror and I could hardly believe that it was me staring back. My skin and my hair looked flawless as I was frozen in time, looking at the strange twinkle in my eyes. It was a twinkle so bright, that I was sure I had never seen anything like it.

I balled my hands into fists as I briefly remember the last time I looked at myself in a mirror while clad in a wedding gown. The contrast of the two occasions was palpable. While I had been full of unvoiced doubts and fears on that last wedding, I was full of certainty, love, and peace on this one.

I was no longer scared of the unknown. There was no feeling at the back of my head telling me to bolt. I was at peace with myself and excited about my next steps. I couldn't wait to marry my love.

This time, life was undoubtedly perfect.

----

**EPOV**

I was getting on everyone's last nerve as I paced back and forward at the Church's altar while waiting for Bella. We hadn't seen each other for forty eight hours, the longest we had gone without each other since the attack, and my patience had run out a while back.

"It's almost time, please be calm," Jasper whispered in my ear as the church continued to be populated by all of our friends and family.

"What's taking so long? Do you think she changed her mind?" I asked in a hushed voice, but unfortunately Emmett heard me.

"If you are just looking forward to chasing after Bella in her underwear as she runs away from you, then I suggest you wait for after the wedding and do a reenactment at the honeymoon," he smirked.

"Emmett shut the hell up," I whispered-yelled as I heard multiple chuckles coming from all over the church.

"It's time," I heard my father say as he wrapped me in a hug and moved to join my mom at their seats.

I took a deep breath and tried to steady my shaky legs as one by one, all of the bridesmaids made their way to the altar. My groomsmen consisted of Jasper, my best man, Emmett, Ben, and Gage. We all cleared our throats as we took in the beauty of all of our women as they approached us, silly smiles on their faces.

Suddenly the tune changed and I froze as my Bella, my angel, started to walk her way down the aisle. Her tiny arm tightly secured by her father's.

I suddenly felt drunk as I took in the beauty of my bride, she was perfect. Her long white gown hugged all of her curves perfectly, her hair shining from underneath all the layers of her veil. She looked so exquisite, so lovely, but that was not what made my heart skip a few beats. It was the twinkle in her eyes, happiness so bright that it shined above everything that was going on at that moment.

At that very second the rest of the world ceased to exist. It was just me and her, Edward and Bella, man and woman, soon to be husband and wife. Life was perfect.

The ceremony was short and sweet and we embraced each other as we drank in all the joy around us. The reception went by in a blur and before we knew it, we were heading to the Maldives for our honeymoon.

I sighed as I took in the scent of the big, blue ocean surrounding us. The trip had been long and strenuous, but I was still drunk in contentment.

Bella giggled as the small boat taking us to our own little private island skipped over the waves.

"We are here," the guy that was navigating the boat said as we made it to shore.

There were a couple of cabana boys waiting for us at the small dock. They helped us out of the boat and led us to our new home for the next month.

"Thank you, I'll take it from here," I said as they opened the door to the small cabin and placed our luggage inside.

They left as soon as I handed them a tip, joining the other man on the boat after making sure we wouldn't be needing anything until the next day.

I laughed as Bella started to walk towards the inside of the cabin.

"Where do you think you are going Mrs. Cullen?" I asked as she blushed at her new name.

"Inside, where else?" she smirked.

"No, I don't think you are walking in there," I laughed as she huffed.

"So what, you expect me to float in there?" she asked with a laugh. She knew exactly what I was getting at, and was teasing me.

I closed the gap between us and grabbed the back of her head as I pressed my lips roughly against hers.

"God, you taste so yummy," I said as I placed my arm underneath her knees and picked her up, cradling her against my chest.

Bella giggled as she kicked her legs trying to free herself from my grasp. I moved my head so that I could attack her soft neck, and she purred as I started to nib, kiss, and lick all over her sensitive spots.

As soon as I was inside our bedroom, I closed the door, and moved towards the huge white bed. I was sure the place was beautiful, but I was too caught up in Bella to notice.

"Are you sure?" I asked as I placed her softly on the bed.

We hadn't been intimate since before the attack. At first it was due to her reaction to me and all the memories from her attack, but later we decided to just wait for our wedding night and make it special.

"Yes baby, I'm more than ready," she said in a small sexy voice.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this," I whispered against her ear as I blew air around it, before taking her lobe between my teeth and biting softly.

"Edward, I want you so bad. I'm aching for you," Bella purred as I continued the attack on her ear and neck.

I ran my tongue over her sweet yet slightly salty skin until I reached her chin, caressing her soft cheeks with my fingers. I stopped and took a moment to admire her beauty, getting lost in her beautiful brown eyes. The sparkle in her eyes made my entire body shiver in anticipation. How I needed her.

"I love you so much, baby" I whispered against her lips, while still maintaining my gaze in hers. "You are my life now."

"I love you too, Edward, with everything I've got," she whispered before running the tip of her tongue against my lips, begging for entrance. I groaned before allowing her soft pink tongue to enter my mouth, wrestling with hers as I started to work on the buttons of her shirt.

Slowly, very slowly I started to remove her shirt, placing kisses on every little bit of skin I left exposed in my wake. Bella sighed as she started to moan softly against my head, wrapping her hands around my neck and moving me so that I could kiss her once more.

My hard cock twitched as Bella pushed me back and knelt on the bed, giving me a come hither look before she started to unbutton my shirt. She squealed as I took my shirt off roughly and wrapped my hands around her waist.

"Your hands are cold and it tickles," she giggled as she tried to get loose from my grasp.

"Where do you think you're going Mrs. Cullen? I asked as she melted into my embrace and attacked my lips roughly.

"Does that turn you on?" I asked.

"What?"

"Me, calling you Mrs. Cullen?"

"Fuck yes," she said in a husky voice that dripped with sex.

"Mine," I said as I lowered my head and began to place butterfly kisses all over her smooth navel.

"Mine." I sighed.

Within seconds we had lost the rest of our clothing as we proceeded to kiss, bite, lick and nip at each other.

Bella yelped as I grabbed her by the back of her legs and pulled her as her back fell into the bed with a soft thud. She started to wiggle against me as I ran the tip of my tongue over her smooth leg, making my way down to her toes.

I gave her a mischievous grin as I took her big toe in my mouth and started to suck and lick the soft digit.

"Fuck , Edward. That feels so fucking good," she screamed in pleasure as her small hand made its way to her throbbing center and started to tease her own bundle of nerves.

"Are you wet for me baby?" I asked against her thumb as she continued her ministrations.

"Fuck yes," she grunted.

I chuckled at her eagerness as I once more ran the tip of my tongue against her skin, making my way towards her heated center.

I glanced at her before grabbing her hand and moving it away from her wet pussy. I teased her by kissing her most inner thigh before finally making my way to her bud and flicking my tongue over it. I smiled as Bella's hips buckled against my face and she started to moan my name over and over.

I teased her by going from plunging my tongue inside her to licking her tasty bud, repeating the same process until I felt her legs clench against my neck, alerting me of her upcoming release. I furiously licked and nibbled her while encouraging her to come for me between breaths.

With a small whimper, Bella let go of whatever it was that she was holding on to and succumbed to her orgasms. I lapped at her pussy, taking in all of her juices until she was licked clean. Yummy!

I sat up and moved so that I was hovering over her before attacking her lips roughly. I wondered for a second if I was being too rough, but understood that I wasn't when Bella reached out from underneath me and grabbed my cock, stroking the full length softly before moving at a faster rhythm.

"I need you inside me, Edward," Bella whimpered as she continued to stroke my length.

I stopped kissing her and moved my glance over hers before slowly entering her, throwing my head back in pleasure once I was completely seethed between her tight walls.

"More, Edward, I want more" Bella cried as I started to pump in and out of her.

"Fuck, Bella, you feel so good, baby," I moaned as I continued to move within her, getting closer and closer to my own release.

Sensing that I was getting close, I started to rub Bella's nub with my thumb, causing her to scream my name in pleasure, over and over, before once again coming, milking me for what I was worth.

I bit on her lip as I lost all sense of control and let myself go into the wonderful waves of my own orgasm, screaming Bella's name over and over as I filled her with my seed.

After that, we just laid there, embraced in each other's arms, my member still inside her, basking in the wonderful moment. No words were needed, no gestures. Our love was so loud and so strong that it shined through every pore of our bodies.

I smiled as I realized that this was how I intended to spend the rest of my life. I wanted to remain in the arms of my lover forever, knowing that we would overcome anything and everything life threw at us.

I sighed in contentment as Bella's eyes shut close, her small, warm body relaxing against mine.

She no longer had a broken heart.

She was no longer a fallen angel.

She was my wife, my mate, my soul.

My Bella.

FIN

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**AN: New Story and others.**

**Once again, thank you very much for reading and reviewing, you guys are the best. I have a new Story called Fingerprint, it's Alternate Universe and has our favorite vampires. I am also planning a couple more stories; some of them are already in the works, so add me to your Author's Alert if you are interested.**


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